


Jekhipe

by st_jimmy_987



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: F/F, Gypsy AU, M/M, Minor Character Death, Noahs are traveling gypsies, Very Minor, i don't know how to tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-03-22
Packaged: 2018-05-21 00:32:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 44,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6031579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/st_jimmy_987/pseuds/st_jimmy_987
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As part of the Noah clan, Tyki Mikk is used to wandering and performing; and, somehow, Lavi manages to turns his ideas and world around completely.</p>
<p>"Suppose something comes of this. Would you come with us, if you could?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Year one, in which first sightings commence.

Tyki first saw Lavi when he was a kid.

He supposed the sighting was owed to Allen, the kid Mana had found on the side of the road a few years back. The boy had been sent to the nearby town to get food while everyone set up the usual stalls, stands, and stages, and he had yet to return. Mana, like the over-protected father the Earl teased him relentlessly about, had sent Tyki to go find him. With a genuine smile, he had agreed to go after the pale boy.

He ended up running all over town, ignoring people's reactions to his old and worn clothes as he looked all over for the small kid. Each corner he turned, each call that went unanswered, worried Tyki more and more as time went by. What if he had been taken? He had only been with them for two, maybe three seasons, and he was still young and innocent, still unused to the harsh world Tyki was already aware of as a gypsy. Allen would trust people blindly, and- - -

He saw a flash of white, and he skid to a stop, nearly slipping in the dirt.

"Allen!" He called, racing towards the kid. Allen was staring at him, eyes wide and filling slowly with tears, his cheek red. Coming to a stop, he didn't notice anything else, focusing entirely on the boy he had spent the last couple hours looking for. "Everyone was getting worried. What are you doing?" He smiled lightly at the boy, glancing at the people around. There were two small boys- - -one with dark hair and eyes, and another with fiery red hair and green eye, the other covered by an eye patch. He didn't recognize either boy; the woman behind them, though, made Tyki's blood freeze despite his slight ignorance.

"He has insulted our family." She said coldly as he joined them by standing right next to Allen. He gulped- - -what had Allen been thinking, talking to these people? Yes, it was true that the boy was young, but Tyki had though Mana and Cross had taught him to not talk to people so obviously above them! "He either needs to apologize, or be punished according to the family rules."

Tyki couldn't help the anger coursing through him at the woman's words- - -yes, Allen should know better, but Tyki knew what Allen did couldn't have been that bad; the boy was only five seasons old (at least, that's what they all assumed), and the woman he was talking to was most definitely speaking of a rule that would most likely warrant Allen's death. Forcing a polite smile on his face, Tyki allowed his mind to wander frantically and freely to think of a way to save Allen.

"On behalf of my little idiot here, many apologies, madam." He started, placing a hand on the back of Allen's head and pushing his head forward in a bow as he did the same. "I'm sure," and here, his grip in Allen's silver hair tightened enough to make the boy gasp quietly in pain, to make sure he didn't say anything that might have made the situation worse, "that he meant no harm. We are merely travelers passing by."

"Tyki...!" Allen whispered almost inaudibly; in response, Tyki's hand tightened even further as a warning before releasing his tight grip. They stood together, Tyki taking the groceries from Allen as the young boy picked them up from off the ground where they had spilled. Tyki chanced a glance at the woman- - -she was still glaring at them, but it had less fury and anger than it did a few moments prior, and Tyki took it as his chance to continue.

"Please forgive him." Tyki continued, hoping to prey on the woman's motherly side (if she even had one- - -from the looks of her, she would rather find a way to injure them greatly than listen to a child), "He is only five seasons old, and we're still teaching him manners." Placing the groceries on the ground gently, Tyki pulled Allen onto his back and picked up the food again. He felt Allen tighten his arms around his neck, his legs wrapping tightly around Tyki's waist. The woman made no noise of discontent, and the gypsy took his advantage to get away without any further punishment. "Come on, Allen. Mana is getting worried."

They weren't five feet away when Allen scrambled to get a better hold.

"Tyki, Tyki!" He said sweetly, making Tyki 'hmm' in response. His focus was less on the boy's voice, and more on his ability to juggle his heavy weight on his back and the groceries on his front. Allen's wriggling had knocked everything off balance, and they didn't need their food hitting the dirt ground a second time. "Thank you for coming for me."

"Mana sent me." Tyki answered carelessly. "He was getting worried- - -you were gone a long time, Allen."

"Sorry." Tyki could feel Allen deflate against his back slightly, and the older boy smiled slightly against his will.

"Did ya get lost? You do that often, you know." He felt Allen flush against his shoulder and he laughed. "You did! Haha, Allen, why would you agree to go shopping if you wouldn't be able to find your way back?"

"I met new people." Allen said defensively. Tyki stopped walking, twisting his head around to look at the pale boy with his gold eyes. "Two boys, but I think they're older than me."

"That doesn't matter." Tyki said. Their image came to his mind; the exotic Asian boy with long hair and a condescending cold look, and the red headed boy with curiosity aflame in his one visible eye. "Did you forget what Mana taught you already, little one?" Allen stared back, his silver eyes wide. "Have you forgotten?"

"No." Allen murmured defensively, his head falling against Tyki's shoulder again. Tyki started walking, the two boys reaching the edge of the town rather quickly. "He knocked me over though."

"Who did?" Tyki asked patiently, already looking around for their caravans. They were still a couple of miles out, but he could see the tents in the distance; Skinn and the other men worked quickly.

"Stupid BaKanda did." Allen muttered angrily, and Tyki froze, his eyes wide.

He heard of the Kanda family, with its harsh training and family of swords and swordsmen. The whole family came from a long line of samurai, each able to wield weapons from a sword to small, sharp pointed stars called 'shurikan'. They were almost the same, but the Kanda family had immigrated when Tyki himself was still a young boy and put down roots; anyone who had dared to say a word against them was swiftly dealt with, and not a single soul had complained of their presence since. Each of them, from the father to son, mother to daughter, were hard, cold, practically heartless people; Tyki felt grateful that he had come when he did, as he most likely saved the boy from a quick, most likely painless, but still horrible demise.

"Allen," Tyki said slowly, walking again. "If you ever go near that boy again, you will regret it. I want you to listen to me carefully." He waited until he felt Allen nod against the back of his head. "The Kanda family is not to be messed with. If you ever go near him again, I want you to be careful. Show him your utmost respect, do not go against what he says, and get away from him as soon as you possibly can. Do you understand?" He ignored Allen's surprised noise and continued talking. "That whole family is dangerous, if you aren't careful."

"But, Lavi isn't part of BaKanda's family." Tyki winced at the new name Allen thought suited the youngest Kanda son. Almost instantly, he could mentally picture the boy's punishment should he ever call him that to his face. It wasn't a pleasant thought, and he chose to change the subject, though it was only marginally.

"Lavi?" He questioned instead, watching Mana pace back and forth in front of Tyki's older brother Sheril.

"The boy with red hair." Allen said, scrambling to get off of Tyki. It forced the older child to juggle the groceries again, and he let Allen down with a slight scowl at the excitable boy. "With the eye patch. He's really cool. Mana!" The man turned, and despite the fact that no one could see his face, Tyki could see the relief that flooded the man's body.

"Allen." As Allen started chattering excitedly, Tyki brought the groceries to Sheril.

"Hello, brother." Sheril smiled at him encouragingly.

"Tyki." He stood, ruffling Tyki's hair (to his annoyance) and stretched his back. It ached, and he twisted his upper body while keeping his feet firmly planted on the ground; there were several loud cracks that went from the base of his spine to halfway up. It soothed his back a bit, and he turned his attention back to Sheril, who was watching with an amused look. "It took you a while to come back with Allen. Any longer, and I would have been making trails with Mana as well."

"Kid got lost." Tyki said, looking at Allen chattering away on Mana's shoulders while the man took him to the tent he used to prepare for their shows. "I don't think that we should send Allen for groceries in a while; he's still too little to do it by himself." Sheril laughed.

"Well said, little brother!" Tyki growled and moved his head quickly as Sheril's hand came down. The older man didn't seem to care that his hand missed its mark; on the contrary, he seemed even more amused by his little brother's unwillingness to have him touch him. He shooed Tyki off instead, telling him with his actions that it would be ok for him to go and play with the other kids. "I'm going to find Lord Millennium and put the food away."

With permission granted from his elder, Tyki turned and ran, the incident with the Kanda family already put out of his mind.

XxX

Things were wild around his tent. Voices, all familiar and combined together with every command and resulting noise, melded together in a waving pitch that formed the background noise of a performance. They had officially opened yesterday, and the entire troupe was working hard both before the show and in preparation of it. Most of the younger children were placed in bed, already sleeping and resting their small bodies and minds for the next day's set up; Tyki, as part of the main Noah clan and the opener for Mana's magic show, the Earl's almost inhuman abilities, and his own tricks with the butterflies he called the Tease, was one of the very few exceptions to this rule.

As such, Tyki was struggling into his performance outfit while having Allen sit on the bed beside him and his niece Road lay next to the pale boy with her bear in her left arm, both watching him with a sleepy look in their eyes as he dressed and tried to get them to sleep at the same time. Road was close to dreaming: her golden eyes were closing more frequently, and staying closed for much longer before opening again. On the far side of them, the two toddlers that had been picked up a few days ago, Jasdero and Devit (names curtesy of the Millennium Earl as always), were already sleeping; Devit spread out on the bed, Jasdero clinging to him tightly in his sleep.

Outside, he could hear Sheril's wife Tricia greeting everyone who came in, and the familiar muttering of a crowd in awe.

"Tyki..." Allen yawned. Tyki 'hmm'ed and turned slightly, looking at the boy. Road seemed to have given into dreams, hugging her bear tightly to her side and twisted away from Devit, who hand his leg tossed over her side. "When can I help out like you do?" Tyki smiled gently and helped Allen lay down next to Road; his body, weak from the exhaustion of the day, followed Tyki's motions easily as the older boy tucked him into the blankets.

"Wait a few more seasons, ok?" He said softly, pulling a slightly heavier blanket over them both as Allen snuggled closer to Road, his arm thrown over her waist as he turned on his side. Jasdero whined a bit, stopping when Devito twisted in his sleep and his closed fist hit his chest. Tyki shook his head at their interactions that seemed to happen even in sleep, and a fluttering on the other side of the room caught his attention.

"Ha!" He hissed triumphantly, leaping instantly into action and capturing the movement. "Gotcha!" He fell to the floor with a 'mmph!', careful of the object in his hands and mindful of the sleeping children just a few feet away; holding his breath, he lifted his head to ensure his racket hadn't woken anyone accidentally. When nobody stirred, not even Allen, Tyki returned his attention to his clasped hands, watching them for a moment before opening them to discover the empty space. "Dammit!"

A dark purple butterfly landed gently on his nose, making Tyki cross-eyed as he tried to keep it in sight.

"You're such a pain, stupid Tease." He grumbled as he raised his hands slowly. The butterfly's wings fluttered, but it didn't move from its perch; instead, it bit his nose rather harshly, almost but not quite breaking the skin. "OW! That hurts!" He hissed again, and then he moved quickly while he had the chance; each hand grabbing a wing in as gentle a grip as he could manage and pulling it gently off of his nose. The butterfly flapped in protest, his fingers following the movement as best as he could so that he wouldn't accidentally tear the fragile wings, but it stilled after a few moments.

He took a moment to look it over critically. It was the largest butterfly, just bigger than his palm when it was spread open, in the hundreds that the Earl had given him to train and own, and the one the he had with him more often than not. It followed him everywhere unless he had to go into town, and though it had only been two years since the Tease were gifted to Tyki, this one was the one he favored the most. It also seemed as though it were the leader, because while he had tried relentlessly to train them, if he couldn't get this one to do as he said, then none of them would. He grumbled about the damn thing all the time, but it was in the same lighthearted tone he used to tease Road and Allen.

"I dunno why Lord Millennium gave me you." He muttered, releasing one of the wings so he could place the insect on his shoulder. It fluttered in compliance at its new spot, the tips of its wings brushing softly against his cheek. "But you and the others belong to me now, remember?" Tyki felt ridiculous, talking to the butterfly as he continued getting ready, but the purple insect seemed to be paying attention to him, which was enough.

XxX

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen of all ages, to the Millennium Earl's Clan of Noah!" Tyki was standing at the top of a very thin, very high pole with one foot balanced at the tip of it and the other just behind it in midair. The wind was obvious where he stood, though Tyki was careful to keep his balance as the people gasped in astonishment from below. His teeth were bared in the semblance of a smile, a promise and hint of his later show, though he looked remarkably suave in his suit. "We hope that you find what you seek among us on this night, our opening!" As he focused on his introduction, Tyki couldn't help but be relieved his brother was stationed elsewhere; he knew that if Sheril could see him now, he would have heart failure similar to the time he though Tricia was going to be gravely ill months and months before Road was born. "We greatly appreciate your return to our world of mystic wonders!" He smiled smoothly, using his left hand to touch the brim of the black top hat Lord Millennium was generous enough to buy him as part of his outfit.

"And as you have decided to grace us with your presence," Tyki bent his knee slightly, holding his right hand up, the purple butterfly flapping its wings in preparation for take-off. "We will begin our journey to the unknown." He jumped, flipping backwards easily as the butterfly took off, and many more others joined it suddenly, appearing to come out from his body as he fell. They surrounded him, completely covering him from view as he landed easily on the top of a stall, careful not to step on any of his Tease. He had landed out of sight from the adoring crowd, who seemed to be even more excited to enter as he disappeared in a rush of beautiful violet butterflies. He kept to the illusion, dropping quietly from the top to the ground. From there, he went into the stall, joining the Millennium Earl as he finished preparations and one of the other Noah teens, Skinn Boric.

"Excellent work as usual, Tyki-pon." The Earl said, clapping happily as the purple butterfly fluttered down to land on Tyki's shoulder. The boy grinned in pleasure, relishing the praise from the head of their clan. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you, Lord Millennium." Tyki's gold eyes traveled over to Skinn, his teenaged cousin. His golden eyes were narrowed at Tyki, and the younger boy couldn't help the snarl that loosed from his lips. "I haven't seen you recently, Skinn. Where have you been?" The teen glared at him angrily.

"None of your damn business, pipsqueak." Tyki's eye twitched slightly, but he pushed back his wild hair back, placing his hat on firmly. Skinn got on his nerves, from the moment he was old enough to realize that the older teen had a strong dislike for him. He was proud whenever he bested the elder with his words, but for every intellectual win he gained, Skinn followed with his violence and short temper. It was a twisted relationship they shared, but one that was necessary; they were both favorites of the Earl and part of the main Noah clan.

Still, he could have his fun.

"As you wish, Skinn. I suppose I can leave it be, as your strength and size alone can best me in the fairest of fistfights; though you rarely fight fair to begin with. But I digress." Tyki turned to leave, his fingers lingering on the brim. "Be careful, though. My butterflies are carnivorous, and it'd be a shame to discover you missing." Skinn growled at him, and Tyki glared back.

"Now, now, boys," The Earl called cheerfully, placing a hand on Tyki's shoulder as if deciding which of his little 'family' he would support. Skinn's eyes followed it, the teen backing down in stance. "No fighting, not now. Besides, Tyki, eight seasons is much too young to be making threats of that nature."

"Of course, Lord Millennium." Tyki said, walking away when he felt the Earl's hand leave his shoulder. Something came to mind, that Tricia had sounded odd as she greeted people, and he knew he had plenty of time before his show began. "I'm going to check on Tricia. I know something's up with her, despite my brother's protests. I feel that it would be better if she opened up and told me what was wrong with her, seeing as all my brother can do is fawn over her and Road all the time."

"Best of luck, little one." The Earl called over his shoulder as he left. The younger nodded his head in acknowledgement that their leader had spoken, raising his hand with his palm outward to signify his departure.

Tyki searched for Tricia, his golden eyes going over face after face after face to find the woman his brother had married. They always brought so many people from town to their doors on opening, even though the majority of them hated their caravans as they set it up. Still, Tyki knows that he couldn't do much in the face of their blatant hypocrisy; they provided means of living, even if at the moment they were hindering his ability to locate Tricia. Every now and then, he'd backpedal, thinking he saw her due to a quick flash of blonde hair, but it always ended up being someone else.

A flash of red caught his attention, and he turned.

He felt his face flush lightly when he saw one of the boys that were with Allen a few days previous. It was the red head, the one with the eye patch and a bright green, curious eye. There was no mistaking the fact that he was young, about Tyki's age, but he seemed to be wandering alone. He had no idea what the boy was doing here this late at night, but he forgot his idea of finding Tricia and began to follow this boy instead, curious about his intentions.

The other didn't seem to notice, running to the different stands and stalls they had. He looked excited at being able to see their wares, reaching out to poke at this or brush his fingers against that as he made his way through the grounds. Tyki stayed in the shadows, his hand firmly on the brim of his hat. He slipped through the shadows easily, able to blend in with the crowds of people around them if it was necessary.

He was called suddenly, and Tyki gave the other boy one long last look before turning and running face-first into Sheril's chest.

"What happened?" Tyki asked- - -his brother had this stricken look on his face, one similar to when they thought Tricia was going to die a few months before Road was born...

Tyki felt his stomach drop.

"Is it bad?" He asked instead, chasing after Sheril when his brother simply turned and ran. As he did, Tyki noticed what he hadn't seen at first: he was holding Tricia in his arms, the small woman appearing even smaller in the arms of her husband. His heart pounding fiercely in his throat, Tyki rushed after his brother. The crowd of people, who had been nothing but a helpful nuisance only a moment before, had become irritatingly in the way in the space of seconds. They limited his ability to follow his brother and his wife, and Tyki felt himself snarl just a bit when he had to shove someone else aside to keep up. "Sheril? Tell me!"

The man still refused to answer; spotting a familiar black dress, Tyki stopped short with a growl, grabbing the edges of the dress around the woman's waist.

"Miranda!" He hissed, and the woman jumped, her shoulder-length hair flying slightly through the air. There was a plate of food in her hands, and it fell to the ground in her bewilderment.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" She shrieked in surprise, glancing down at him; her eyes widened even more in fear as she registered Tyki. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please forgive me, oh please!" Her accent, foreign and thickening with each word, made Tyki wince slightly.

"Shut up." He said harshly, and Miranda obeyed so quickly it was stunning. She stood still, trembling madly and looking as if he were ready to stick his Tease through her chest and into her heart. "Tricia needs help. Follow Sheril and help us bring her into the medical tent." Miranda's eyes widened in shock, but before she could thank him or anything, Tyki shoved her in the direction his brother went. "Don't speak, just move. Now!"

XxX

Tyki sat outside the tent, head falling back against the soft material. His golden eyes shut, the boy gave off the impression of being asleep, the Tease fluttering gently every now and then against his shoulder. It had been hours since they had brought Tricia in, the sun beginning to break the horizon as the new day started. He had left earlier to preform, but it was wooden and only halfway decent; he wasn't going to be punished for such a lackluster performance, but only because they were all worried about Tricia's health. Tyki had returned right afterwards, providing silent support for his brother despite his body screaming for rest. Sheril had finally deigned to give his little brother the details that happened the night before that left Tricia pale and unconscious in his arms.

Tricia, it turned out, had collapsed in the midst of her job. She had been running a high fever, and somehow made it worse by not telling anyone and continuing with work. It was by some miracle that she didn't get caught, especially with the way Sheril doted on her.

Speaking of Sheril, the man had hardly stopped pacing. He'd been like this since he had come to the medical tent and Miranda had gone in after him; despite being the best and only doctor they knew or had, Miranda Lotto had the strangest ability to be clumsy in all manners. If it were not for the fact that they needed her so, they probably wouldn't have looked at her twice no matter how talented she was at healing people. Nevertheless, their occupation meant that no other doctor would look at them, let alone join them, as they were gypsies in all sense of the word: work, play, and travel. In fact, most doctors laughed before shutting the door in their face.

At any rate, she was their best hope.

"Stop pacing, you dolt." Tyki muttered impatiently from his seat. His suit, having been held in safety in the Earl's trunk for travel, was now mussed and slightly dirty, and was very uncomfortable by this point. He was tired, and slightly hungry, and his head hurt a lot. All in all, he was very miserable, and listening to Sheril's constant footstep was grating on his very last nerve. "It won't make Miranda come out faster."

"I know." Sheril said miserably. "But, Tricia- - -she was so still when I found her..." Tyki sat up straighter, looking at his brother strangely. He had told Tyki the barest amount of information he could, and it left an incomplete image in the boy's head. Curiosity burned through his body, but out of respect and deference to the older man, he didn't word any of his questions.

"Sheril..." The man shook his head, not wanting to hear- - -

Miranda stepped out of the healing tent. Her shoulder length hair, usually pulled back in some semblance of a bun as she worked on one of the troupe, was falling out of the tight wind, spilling around her shoulders and sticking to her face. She was slightly out of breath, and the usual black rings around her eyes were made even more pronounced by the dark bags that accompanied them underneath. There was a weary look on her face, one that spoke volumes of the past hours she had just spent working. It combined easily with the way she held herself, as if her whole body ached from the night's worries.

Sheril turned to look at her and paled slightly.

"Tricia?" He asked quietly, almost as if he were afraid to hear the news. Miranda looked at him unblinkingly for a long time before a sigh escaped her mouth and she seemed to fall in on herself. Tension seeped out of her body in waves; her positive body language seemed to relax Sheril slightly, though it wasn't until Miranda spoke that it seemed to hit him properly.

"She is fine, ja?" She said, relief coloring her voice. "She vill be sleeping heavily for the next few days, but she vill recover after about a week, especially if she stays in the medical tent." Sheril sat next to his younger brother; more like collapsed, but the man had been put through his own Hell the night before, and Tyki found it wise not to bring it up to the older man. "You can go in and see her, if you vish."

Sheril darted in, but Tyki declined with a shake of his head as he stood and stretched.

"I really must check on Allen and Road." He said calmly, wincing slightly as he turned and got the glare of the rising sun. "And change out of my performance outfit. Besides, I'll leave the love-sick idiot and his wife alone for some privacy." With a slight smile and the tip of his hat as thanks, Tyki left Miranda in the front of the tent.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Year two, in which first meetings commence.

The next year they met, it was pure coincidence.

Tyki, who had taken over Allen's shopping duties with their leader's order because the boy had proven himself useless with directions, had been digging in his pockets for the family wallet when he saw a flash of red out of the corner of his eye. The familiar color brought forth a mixed feeling of irritation and anticipation; the whole year they'd been on the road, the crimson color had haunted him. He turned, instincts driving his actions as they had for the past year, and ended up nose to nose with a pale face, flaming red hair, and an emerald eye. He was suddenly grateful for his dark skin, as it hid the blush that covered his face at the sight of the boy so close in his personal space.

"Hi!" The boy said, grinning wildly. "How are ya?" Tyki blinked at him once, confused at the warm reception. He wore his normal traveling outfit- - -a long, baggy button up shirt because he got his clothes from Sheril when the elder out grew them, so the covering cloth fell down to his thighs and worn pants, both of which had seen better days. His hair was wild and all over the place, and his face was still streaked with dirt and sweat; overall, the days of walking alongside the caravan had gotten him rather dirty, and he hadn't had a chance to go in the river by where they set up and clean himself off. The Earl had requested he pick up food for their meals, and though he hadn't particularly wanted to go into town looking the way he did, the promise of a fresh meal for the first time in several weeks had Tyki going to the market without so much as a single complaint. Still, there was no mistaking who he was, even if the people of the town didn't know them by name. Tyki was clearly one of the gypsies that had settled a few miles out of town once again.

On the other hand, this red-head boy was clearly well-off. He had a green headband around his head, going over the string of a black eye patch on his right eye that looked brand new even as it looked worn. He had a clean, fitted white shirt on, covered by a simple black coat lined with silver thread and an emerald scarf around his neck. The skin on his face was clean and completely unblemished, his face still holding some of the roundness that Tyki's face had already lost. His pale skin was red around the cheeks, and Tyki assumed the boy realized how close they were because two seconds later, he had backed away a bit.

"Anyway, you're Tyki, right?" At the question he almost missed, Tyki scowled, leaving his hand in his pocket; despite the sudden clench of his fist, as if preparing himself for a fight, he told himself it was to continue searching for the wallet. He knew better than to fight someone like the child before him, he reminded himself, and it wouldn't do to fight when he was supposed to be getting groceries.

"Who wants to know?" He asked smoothly, his gold eyes guarded as he tilted his head to the side. The boy laughed and shook his own head, his hair flying in all directions. His laughter was warm and infectious, surprising Tyki into taking an unwilling step back. It lit up his whole face, revealing a missing tooth in the side of his mouth. A smile twitched on Tyki's face, one that he forced down with a small shake of his head.

"No, no, you got me all wrong!" He held his hand out. "My name is Lavi; I'm part of the Bookman family." Tyki silently disregarded the hand, giving Lavi a distrustful look- - -he had had this happen to him once before, when a child higher up had offered his hand in friendship, only to have been punished cruelly by both the child and his family. His humiliation hadn't even ended with that; when the Millennium Earl had found out, he'd made a point to bring it forth to their caravan. The Earl had taken his suffering and turned it into a lesson and reminder to their entire group.

It wasn't an experience he was particularly willing to relive again.

"I don't recall giving you my name." Tyki said coolly. His tone made the red head draw back minutely, tilting his head to the side. Lavi's hand fell, his gaze turning inquisitive as he did. Tyki watched the gears in the boy's head turn, his eye trailing up and down the gypsy carefully. For the first time in his life, Tyki found himself self conscious of how he appeared to the other boy; he knew what he looked like, and it wasn't something children like the red head in front of him consorted with on a daily basis. It wasn't shame at his appearance coursing through him, Tyki told himself firmly, it was irritation that this boy didn't seem to know how to keep to the script society had created for them.

"It isn't Tyki?" He asked curiously, when he finally spoke again. His voice was sounding weird, like he was sure of the information he had but was requesting confirmation all the same. "That's what Allen called you last time I saw you- - -was I wrong?" Tyki stared at him wordlessly and Lavi stared back. There was a quick moment of silence, wherein Tyki's mind went blank and Lavi's face was full of questions. The crowd bustled around them until Lavi said, "Is it 'cause of my eye patch? I don't really need it. I'll take it off if it bothers you so much." He reached up slowly, hands going behind his neck as they rose to take off the black fabric.

Tyki panicked.

"No!" Tyki's arm was full of the groceries, which meant that his free hand shot out before he could stop it, wrapping around the other's wrist to stop him. His hand gripped the thin wrist tightly, the motion moving the red head's hand a whole two inches from his head. Lavi stared at him, his visible eye wide in shock; Tyki felt his flush darken, most likely becoming visible on his face, and he released Lavi's wrist with a small gasp. A small bit of the dust that had collected on his fingers left a mark on the boy's wrist and jacket, making the gypsy wince; there was no way for him to deny that he'd touched the other boy at all, not with glaring evidence right on his sleeve. His only hope was for the boy to forgive him without telling anyone what had happened. Without a second thought, and only barely through gritted teeth, Tyki bowed his head and apologized. "My apologies, truly- - -"

"Wow!" Lavi exclaimed over him, drowning out Tyki's apology. His eyes were wide with amazement, looking between Tyki and his hand in surprised happiness. "You move fast! That was amazing!" Tyki blinked again, lifting his head against his will to watch him with only slightly narrowed eyes; this boy was throwing him off, trying to completely turn his opinions of peoples other than gypsies as horrible tricksters and wicked liars. The worst part was, he was doing a fairly good job of it, with his easy attitude and how impressed he was with an instinctual reaction. Belatedly, he realized he had torn his free hand out of his pocket and the man at the stall was still waiting for him to pay for the food he had grabbed, watching the exchange impatiently and with an extremely close eye on Tyki so that the gypsy wouldn't escape without paying.

Lavi watched with interest as Tyki shoved his hand back into his pocket, digging around in it as he searched.

"Lavi!" The call made both Lavi and Tyki look up, Lavi sheepishly and Tyki with slightly wide eyes. An old man, wearing a black coat that trailed onto the floor, came into view; Tyki noted absently that the man barely came up to the boy's shoulders. He hobbled over to the boys, using his walking stick sparingly as he maneuvered the crowd. Lavi seemed to shrink down a bit, though he was still smiling happily at Tyki. "Idiot boy, don't go wandering around by yourself." He turned sharp eyes, ringed in black, onto Tyki, and his eyes narrowed. "Who's this?"

"Ah?" Unused to being addressed by someone so head on, especially by an elder with clothes as fine as his, Tyki blinked a few times before answering. He noted out of the corner of his eyes that Lavi had snapped at attention, looking expectantly at the other boy. Reminding himself that the boy had wanted his name, the gypsy responded slightly hesitantly. His fingers had located the heavy coin purse, and held tightly to it as a sort of anchor. "My name is Tyki Mikk, sir. I'm part of the Noah family, on the outskirts of town." The man- - -Bookman, he assumed, more than likely the boy's grandfather and, more importantly, the head of the Bookman house- - -studied him critically. As Tyki refused to squirm under the old man's gaze, he watched uncomfortably as the dark eyes focused on his too-long, faded gray shirt and baggy, patched up pants before raising an eyebrow at his obvious lack of shoes.

"Age?" Bookman asked, and Tyki held his shock back.

"Ten seasons as of Amalia." Tyki answered, wondering what the inquiries were for. Bookman studied him a bit longer, doing the calculations in his head; Amalia was a town that was seventy miles away, and seeing as their seasons usually lasted as long as nature's, it was too easy to guess his general age in terms of years the way the non-nomadics were used to. Tyki waited impatiently as Bookman considered him before nodding his head once, seemingly coming to a decision though he still glared at Tyki distrustfully.

"I will not find any of my possessions missing, will I?" Beside him, Lavi stiffened in surprise and horror. Tyki felt the edges of his mouth twist into a sharp grin, one that would be more teeth and threats than any genuine happiness. Indignant rage coursed through his small body, and his fists clenched. How dare this small, entitled man assume that because he was a gypsy, he would steal from them. He didn't know anything about their group, anything about- - - He fought hard and tamped it down before it could form fully, just as the red headed boy exploded.

"I can't believe you would ask such a thing, Gramps!" He yelled out, horror in his voice at the same time Tyki shook his head slowly. The Bookman watched Tyki warily for a few moments, clearly not trusting the boy in front of him.

"We make it a point not to steal." Tyki said coolly, pretending he had finally locating the missing wallet buried underneath the vast amount of objects in his pocket that he carried around with him everyday. Lavi was distracted by the pretty object, and Tyki set the groceries down briefly so that he could finally pay the man at the stall and be on his way home. The whole encounter was leaving him deeply unsettled, and he longed to get away and be back in familiar territory. "As much as I'd like to stay, I really must get home." He pulled out some money, handing it to the man at the stall; with a smile and polite bow, Tyki took the food into his arms again, ready to make a run for it now that the stall owner was no longer watching him so suspiciously. "It was nice meeting you, Lavi-san, Bookman-sama."

"No, no formalities." Lavi said earnestly. His green eye was shining eagerly, clearly excited at the idea of having a new friend. "I'll walk with ya, ok?" Tyki stared at Lavi again, eyes wide before he shook his head. There was no reason for this boy to follow him home, like a puppy that had found itself a new playmate and wasn't willing to let it alone.

"It's no problem, really. I can get home just fine on my own." Lavi ignored him, waving at Bookman before falling in step with the quickly retreating gypsy. Tyki's face twitched a bit, irritation lacing his arms and face before he shoved it away. They walked in silence, the gypsy walking a bit faster than normal in a subtle attempt to get away. The red head matched his pace easily, humming to himself as he looked around in interest. As he couldn't get the boy to leave, Tyki allowed him to walk beside him, slowing his pace a bit so that they would be able to speak easily. "How did you know my name?" Lavi grinned at him, looking happy that Tyki had instigated the conversation himself.

"Bookmen are trained to remember everything, no matter how small or insignificant." He waited a moment to let the information sink in. Tyki nodded and Lavi continued with a small shrug. "So, two years ago, when I met Allen- - -how is he, by the way? - - -I heard him call you 'Tyki'. I kind of assumed it was your name."

"Ah, I see…" Tyki trailed off, keeping his voice neutral and completely ignoring the question about Allen. Lavi didn't seem to notice, and for a while they walked in silence. The day was still young, and the sun was bright on them as they walked down the path to the caravans. There was a slight breeze, ruffling the grass and their hair as they walked amiably.

"You said you were ten seasons." Lavi started conversationally, jolting Tyki in surprise and making the other glance at him briefly. "Is that kind of like saying it in years? I'm nine years old, you know." Tyki didn't respond, deciding to watch the other out of the corner of his eye instead. The red head was staring at the sky, his hands behind his head; there had been a moment where Lavi had tried to take the groceries, and Tyki had snapped at him so harshly that he retracted the offer. As a result, he had put his hands behind his head as he walked. Lavi seemed to notice his sidelong glance, and he looked back. "Are you sure you don't want me to take off my eye patch? I don't mind it, really, and if you'd be more comfortable without it..."

"No, it's fine, Lavi." He said the name with hesitance and reluctance, not sure what to do with the other boy. It sounded weird, the name rolling off of his tongue and leaving behind a strange burst of flavor in his mouth. He worked his jaw, trying vainly to get rid of the taste. Still, it almost felt worth it; Lavi beamed at him, his eye crinkling and his teeth flashing in the light; the joy radiating off of him was almost palatable, and despite having just met the boy, Tyki could feel something flutter in his stomach, like a Tease.

He squashed the feeling violently.

"Tyki-pon!" Came the voice of his clan's leader, and he stopped accordingly, Lavi behind him. Ignoring Lavi's startled sound, Tyki turn slightly and smiled in spite of himself. He hadn't realized that they were so close to the caravans already, and the unsettling feeling that had been settled in the bottom of his stomach grew; the Earl wouldn't be especially pleased with Tyki for bringing home a stray, especially one that looked as finely dressed as Lavi did. The ornately dressed leader had caught sight of them and was waving, prompting the gypsy to mimick the movement.

Their clan leader, known only as the Millennium Earl to everyone and them, was bounding over wearing one of his usual ridiculous outfits. Today, it seemed, he decided on a pink top hat with roses covering the brim, as well as a bright pink suit with a whit shirt to change into. He used illusions when among the people of the town even out of performance times; as a result, he looked as wide as he was tall, though Tyki knew it was the outfits he wore that created such an image of him, which was never complete without an enormous smile that never seemed to leave his face. His glasses glinted humorously in every light, hiding the piercing gaze behind the clear glass and the darkness the hat provided.

"Lord Millennium." Tyki bowed respectively when he was within speaking range, mindful of the food in his arms. Lavi made an incomprehensible noise as he did so, and Tyki restrained the urge to force the boy to copy him. His hand still twitched with the aborted movement, and he tightened his hand on the groceries he was carrying. "I apologize if I took too long- - -I had trouble locating the wallet."

"Oh, it's no trouble, Tyki-pon!" The man said joyously. He wrapped his arm around Tyki, pulling the boy against his side and nearly dropping some of the fruit that had been placed at the top of the bag. "I'm just relieved to have all members of our troupe safe and sound amongst family again. Who knows what kind of trouble could be caused for us in the town, you know. It's a good thing you've made it back safely. Ah!" The Earl seemed to have just noticed Lavi, though Tyki knew that the man had been watching the red headed boy closely before they had even entered the camp. He reached over and took the boy's hand jovially, shaking his hand as he addressed the both of them. "Hello! Who is this, Tyki-pon?"

Tyki glanced unsurely at Lavi before shrugging with one shoulder.

"He claims to be part of the Bookman estate," Tyki said, feeling the Earl's gaze sharpen at his seemingly flippant answer; the Bookman estate was among the Kanda family in terms of respect, even a bit more so due to the amount of knowledge they amassed over their lifetimes. Knowing of them was easy. Knowing one of them personally was considered an honor. Tyki didn't know what it meant that its youngest member had decided upon him as a friend, considering it was well known that the Bookman clan didn't make friends. They had allies and enemies, but none closer than that to guard their secrets. The boy was quickly becoming something of a nuisance, but Tyki knew why the Earl chose to focus his sharp gaze on him rather than the red head whose hand he was releasing. He kept his gaze locked with his elder's out of respect, his eyes showing the Earl what the man wanted to know. "His name, I believe, is Lavi."

"Pleasure to meet you, Lavi." The Earl said with his normal overly-joyful tone, tilting his head in acknowledgement. The red head was looking, confused, between the two as the gypsy leader reached over and took the food from the boy in his clan. Tyki wasn't sure what the man was planning, but he knew better than to go against anything the Earl wanted; he allowed him to take the groceries from him, leaving his suddenly empty arms to dangle by his side. "Excuse me, Tyki-pon, but I believe your niece will be awake soon, seeing as she spent most of the morning sleeping away. I've no doubt in my mind that she and the rest of the little ones will want to play. Tricia is still recovering from her bout of illness, though. I suppose that traveling really doesn't suit the poor woman. Your brother is with her in the recovery tent, and Miranda is keeping a close eye on her to ensure she doesn't get any worse. Since that is the case, I expect food for all the little ones will be ready shortly, and once you have made sure they're all fed, you may do as you please until sunset."

"Thank you, Lord Millennium." Tyki bowed his head, turning to walk forward again. With a bit of hesitation, he took Lavi's sleeve by his fingers, pulling the boy to follow him as he went off to do as the Earl ordered. The movement didn't go unnoticed by the gypsy leader, whose eyes narrowed just a bit more at the action. "Come along now, Lavi."

"And, Tyki?" Tyki stopped, but didn't turn. The fact that the Earl didn't add his normal suffix was enough to tell Tyki that his leader had something of importance to say. His fingers tightened in the black cloth, but other than that he tilted his head to show he was listening. "Be careful, all right?" Tyki nodded once, hearing the warning underneath the Millennium Earl's pleasant tone, before taking off, Lavi at his heels.

XxX

"So," Lavi stood precariously on the lowest tree branch, hand pressed against the trunk. It had been several hours, and Tyki was beginning to wonder if the boy was planning on going back home at all. He had followed him around like a shadow, not saying much but clearly working on his observations skills as the gypsy interacted with various members of his clan. He was especially attentive when Allen was around, though Tyki welcomed the distraction the pale boy brought forth. It didn't last; right as Tyki walked away to enjoy the trees that led to the forest, Lavi had followed. They were on the outskirts of said first now, climbing in the trees. "You call yourself Tyki Mikk. Right?" Tyki watched, an amused look in his eye, as Lavi struggled to stay standing. The boy's balance was poor, but considering his station and the fact that it took Tyki to help pull him into the tree to begin with, the realization of that was almost expected.

"That's right." He jumped, easily grabbing onto the next branch and pulling himself up. It wobbled a bit under his weight, but Tyki was confident the branch would hold. He stood straight, hands at his sides to prove to the other boy how easy it was. "Come, now, Lavi, it isn't that hard to stay on the branch- - -it won't snap." As if to prove his point, Tyki walked confidently backwards on the branch he stood on, arms spread wide for show more than for balance. Lavi's eye followed him as he leaned against the trunk, awe filling the green orb as Tyki walked to the end of the branch, grabbed hold of it, and flipped off. He landed with a gentle grace on the branch the red head was on, one foot braced behind the other as he mockingly bowed. Lavi let out a breath of astonishment, and Tyki had to firmly remind himself that he was not showing off to impress this boy. "See? It's simple!"

"Easy for you to say!" Lavi called back teasingly, though the adoration hadn't left his voice. Tyki raised an eyebrow questioningly- - -a bad habit he supposed he picked up from Cross- - -and motioned for Lavi to elaborate. "I saw you last year, and the year before that, when you were standing on top of that pole thing." Tyki's eyebrow rose higher, but Lavi didn't notice; he had taken to peering over the edge of the branch, as if calculating how far down he would fall if he slipped. "The way you were balancing on that pole, for the opening? When you allow people in?" Tyki knew what bit he was talking about. "You look so high up, but you're so confident you're not going to fall. It's not like it's a life or death kind of fall, more like a you'd break several bones if you did kind of fall." The red head smiled, looking up from the ground to look at Tyki with open admiration. The look made him uncomfortable and he shifted, looking away. Road and Allen were playing with Lero, he could see them on the outskirts of the tent Sheril shared with Tricia. The woman was looking much better than when they'd arrived; she was sitting outside, watching her daughter and coughing every so often into a cloth. Tyki was vaguely surprised the Earl allowed her to be out and about the rest of the troupe so soon. Lavi was still talking. Tyki looked back at him just as the red head finished. "It looked so amazing, but it something I would never be able to do, no question about it."

"Because you're from the Bookman clan?" Tyki asked curiously in spite of himself. Lavi grinned at him, like he had been all day when Tyki asked him something instead of forcing the red head to provide information on his own. He glanced over one more time, but was apparently pleased with whatever conclusion he came up with in terms of the safety of walking across the branch; he stepped towards Tyki cautiously, his arms spread for balance, his eyes continually darting from Tyki's face to the branch then the ground.

"Actually, Gramps found me in the street." Lavi sat on the tree gingerly as soon as he reached where Tyki was standing, swinging his feet slightly. The movement jostled the branch a bit, making some of the leaves fall to the ground; Tyki allowed himself to go with the movement, helping him keep his balance so that he could remain standing. "A Bookman isn't really allowed to have feelings or anything. Actually, most of the time, we stay in our home. If Gramps had his way, I'm sure he'd never leave."

"So how does the Bookman line continue?" Tyki wondered aloud. Lavi grinned, pointing quite proudly at himself.

"See, that is where I come in." Lavi said. "Bookmen usually go find a young boy and train them to become the next Bookman. Until Gramps found me, I was just a kid on the side of the road. At least, that's what he's told me about it." Tyki glanced down at Lavi, feeling awkward that the boy was so far beneath his line of sight; the red head was staring at the sky with a wide-eyed look on his face, a weird sort of somber look on his face as he studied the horizon with a sort of forced casualness. "I have a lot to thank him for, really."

Tyki made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat, understanding what he meant. Lavi had the prestige of being part of the Bookman estate, but it was only through sheer luck that it happened to be him. It would explain why he was so eager to make friends with Tyki, the gypsy supposed. Lavi could have easily been lumped together with him, just another homeless child on the streets of the town. There was a strange sort of circumstances that led them here, and the thought of how similar they actually were made something flip in his chest; as if to match it, that. stupid warm feeling in his stomach came back again, only this time it refused to be squashed so easily through his own will. It wasn't until he spotted something flying around out of the corner of his eye that he managed to turn his attention away from it. As he did so, his Tease came floating along the wind, the butterfly hovering around Lavi momentarily before landing on Tyki's shoulder. The red head watched with a wide green eye as Tyki reached out slowly and dragged a fingertip down one of the purple wings.

"Can I touch it?" He asked softly, as if trying not to scare the butterfly away.

"No." Tyki said firmly. Lavi recoiled a bit, and against his will, Tyki found himself softening his voice to reassure him. "This is a special butterfly Lord Millennium gave me to own and train. They're carnivorous, and as their leader, this one is especially prone to biting." Lavi drew his hand back with a slight wince.

"Really?" Despite not reaching out again, the red head stood carefully and leaned forward to inspect the butterfly better, placing his hands on Tyki's arms to keep himself steady. He was too close, like at the food stall where he'd gotten the gypsy's attention, though his focus was solely on the strange sort of butterfly on his shoulder. Tyki felt his heart pound a bit faster, a bit louder, and couldn't help the flush that came over his face. He wished for a distraction, something that would bring his own gaze away from the soft curious eye and the feeling of red hair brushing against his cheeks.

"Uncle!" The small girl of five seasons ran up to them. "Uncle Tyki!" The sudden voice startled the two enough to break them apart; Lavi scrambled backwards and flushed so darkly, his face matched his hair. The blood on his face got even darker as the quick movement knocked him off balance and he flailed, his arms windmilling as he tried to keep himself on the branch. Tyki had to grab Lavi's arm to ensure the boy didn't fall from the tree and injure himself, but he didn't look at him again; while he dealt with his niece, Tyki watched out of the corner of his eye as Lavi pulled his headband down firmly, trying to hide his embarrassment from him.

"Road?" He questioned, leaning over to see the girl. Her purple-blue hair, falling half way down her back, was pulled into a messy ponytail at her nape, and in her arms was a worn bear that she had carried around since she was a baby. She wore a long shirt, one of his own that was too small for him, and his clothes were so big on her that one shoulder was visible through the area where her head went through. There was a black belt tied firmly around her waist, though it was Lulubell's and had to be wrapped around her at least twice for it to fit properly, and her small feet were bare, free to dig in the earth as she pleased. Her face was rounded and innocent, her weight shifting from side to side continuously.

"Mother sent me." She said, crossing her arms. Lero waved at him at the movement, the bear's head flopping to rest against her arm. "She says that it's almost time to eat, and you need to prepare for the show tonight." Road's golden eyes shifted over to Lavi, and her smile widened. Lavi had pulled his headband up and was looking at her, and Road's smile was far from welcoming. Lavi gave her a strained grin back. "Hello."

"You need to get going, Uncle Tyki, Lero!" She pulled the bear up to hide her face as her tone took on a higher-pitched, scratchy quality to it. Lavi jolted in surprise, but Tyki, already used to Lero's voice giving Road's commands, simply smiled down at the girl's antics. "Road's Mother won't be pleased if you skip dinner, and Lord Millennium will be even less pleased if you don't come in time for the show!"

"He's right, you know." Road said sweetly, though her eyes narrowed with venom at Lavi. Her next words put a clear emphasis on what she was saying without saying the words, a way of talking she was learning from the Earl. "Especially since it's a family dinner. Come, Uncle Tyki, we mustn't be late."

"All right, all right, calm down." Tyki jumped carelessly off the branch, using the momentum to flip into the air- - -he was not trying to impress Lavi, he wasn't- - -and landing on his feet on the earth below. "I'll be along shortly, ok, Road?" He said fondly, pulling a lock of her hair up to his lips and pressing a kiss to it. "Tell your Mother I'll be home soon, ok?" Road nodded before pulling Lero up again.

"Just make sure you hurry, Uncle Tyki!" The 'bear' cried, and Tyki patted the bear's head fondly with a laugh.

"I will, I will." He looked up at Lavi, who was staring at him in disbelief. He hadn't moved an inch, just watching them interact with each other through a veil of shock. It made Tyki feel a bit self conscious, and he scratched the back of his head. "Are you going to stand up there gaping at me or are you going to get down anytime soon, Lavi? Once I go to dinner, you will be on your own. I would like to at least ensure that you're no longer stuck in the tree beforehand." The red head shook his awe off and began making his way back to the trunk of the tree. Road's eyes followed him, glancing between the red head and her uncle watching him carefully as he ensured Lavi didn't fall and hurt himself. She clung to her bear tighter, glaring with renewed distasted at the boy.

"Don't laugh at me." He called back, blushing furiously as he finally made it back to the trunk. "That was amazing, though." Tyki smirked, touching the brim of his imaginary hat as he fell into a bow.

"Only the best from the clan of Noah." He said proudly, ruffling his niece's hair as he did. Beside him, Road giggled.

"Lord Millennium is in search of you," She sang hauntingly as Lavi climbed down. Tyki jumped slightly, not expecting her to sing. She brushed her head against his shoulder, watching as Lavi slowed his descent to hear her. Tyki touched the top of her head again, but Road focused on her new mission: making the red headed boy uncomfortable so that he would leave. "Looking for the Heart now, have you heard the news?" Her eyes narrowed again at Lavi as the boy's feet touched the ground and he turned, meeting her gaze straight on. A shiver raced down his spine and Road saw it, her grin lengthening."Maybe you stole it from him? I'll see if it's true..."

"Road..." Tyki started almost warningly, touching the girl's head again, but she moved it off as Lero hid her face again.

"Lord Millennium is in search of you," The 'bear' sang on. "Looking for the Heart now, have you heard the news?" Tyki ran his fingers through her hair, loosening her ponytail to the point of pulling it out, placing the other hand on Lero's head, but she didn't seem to notice. "I was not the one you sought, maybe it is you..."

"Road, calm down please." Tyki tugged at her hair, trying to make her stop and listen to him. She was too young to be trying to intimidate outsiders, and yet she was doing s perfectly good job of scaring Lavi as she sang. The red head was almost entranced, though Tyki could see the slight fear the boy had. Road's 'bear' dropped slightly, making only her gold eyes visible to Lavi.

"Who is it that has my Heart? I will find you soon." She finished hauntingly. Her gaze was cold and hard, unflinching as she glared at the red head her uncle had spent the day with. Lavi blanched and backed away slowly, his emerald eye wide in surprise, his hands held out in peace. Tyki groaned slightly and placed his face in his hands. Road smiled sweetly, holding Lero up again. "Thank you for keeping Uncle Tyki entertained, sir." She said, her voice oozing false sweetness. Only her eyes, narrowed in a burning hatred too old for her to fully understand, showed the girl's true feelings towards the boy. "You should come and play again soon."

"That's enough, Road." Tyki said firmly, picking the smaller girl up and placing her on his shoulders. He didn't look at Lavi for the moment, not wanting to see his reaction to his niece's hostility. Road squealed in happiness, wrapping her free arm around Tyki's neck as she hunched over his head. "Hold tight to Lero, now. We don't want him to fall off and get hurt, now, do we?" Road did as he asked, tightening her grip on Lero so as not to drop him accidentally. Once he was sure she was secure and he had prepared himself fully, the gypsy boy moved to address Lavi. Tyki turned fully to face him, mimicking a bow as his niece was now on his shoulders. "Farewell, Lavi. Feel free to come to the show tonight as well, if you wish."

"Dinner, Lero!" The 'bear' cried from Tyki's shoulders, and he laughed.

"Calm, Lero, I'm coming." The boy waved once more at Lavi before walking back towards their camp.

XxX

Tyki relished in his position in the sky, high above anyone and everyone. Nobody had noticed him, and it gave him a brief moment to search the crowd that had gathered. There were a lot of people in the crowd, yet his golden gaze searched quickly for only one. Even as he denied it to himself, Tyki searched the milling people for the flash of red that indicated Lavi was there. He had seen him the first year. Lavi had indicated that he'd come back again last year, though Tyki hadn't paid attention enough to notice him then. He had expressly invited him this year; still, he couldn't find him anywhere and there was a ball of something forming in his stow much as it slowly dawned on him that Lavi might not have wanted to come back to watch them perform for a third year. With a shake of his head, Tyki abandoned his search. Instead, he let himself focus on his job, which allowed him to be high in the air above the common people. He focused on the sense of calm his position gave him, knowing that as he was currently, he was virtually untouchable by the people below him. His Tease fluttered around him softly, the biggest on his shoulder like it usually was. It flapped its wings slowly, brushing against his cheek; once, twice, and it was time to begin. 

"Ladies and gentlemen," He called, his voice booming over the crowd. Everyone looked up in surprise; nobody had noticed him. They all thought he'd appeared suddenly, and there were gasps of shock and awe as he bowed as a greeting. His eyes roved the audience once again, biting back the disappointment that threatened to rise. "Tonight, we have a special show for a special little lady." He spread his arms wide, and the curtain opened to reveal Road.

She was wearing a brand new dress that Tricia made for her, painstakingly over the past three seasons with the best material they could afford. It was pink, falling just past her knees in flowing layers. The top part had a corset-like design on the front, decorated with elaborate swirls in dark thread. Her sleeves were cinched around her upper arms, clinging tightly to her skin before flowing gracefully down in a water-like fashion. Long purple-blue hair was pulled into a tight crown braid around her head, showing off the cross tattoos she had across her forehead, and in her right arm was Lero as usual. Decorating her hair was a special shawl that Tyki himself had bought for her, a pink that matched the color of her dress. It hung on her hair, held in place by the braided crown, and had coins and beads specially sewn to it so that when she moved, it made a joyful little 'tinkle' sound. She was still barefoot, but the beauty of her dress and the way she smiled happily, waving at everyone she could see, distracted attention from that fact.

It was amusing that this was all Road really wanted for her sixth celebration.

"We'll hear a special song that the young Rhode Kamelot would sing for us." He bowed down again, this time to his niece carefully from his perch; she beamed at him and waved vibrantly. Her enthusiasm brought a round of applause and some goodnatured laughter from their audience. "I know it is not part of our normal show, but it is what Mistress Road wanted as a sixth celebration." The audience cheered again, making Road smile widely at the warm reception.

Then the small girl looked around at the enormous crowd of people, seeming to actually see how many there actually were; and nerves struck almost immediately. Taking a deep breath as if to steel herself, she snuck a glance first at Tyki, then at her mother and father watching from the sidelines, silently asking for support. All smiled encouragingly; Tyki even commanded one of his Tease to flutter down and land on her shoulder in a silent display of support. Road touched the butterfly gently, and then she stepped forward, her right arm tightening slightly on Lero. Allen, just slightly older than Road and already so talented on the violin, started playing, drawing the crowd in and beginning to enchant them with his skills. Mana and Cross joined him to shortly, their music entertaining to create a haunting but beautiful melody that perfectly fit the young child on the stage. Road spun, her dress floating out around her, and she closed her eyes as her headdress jingled.

"You're in my stars you know," She started, and once she did Road seemed to lose herself in the song. Her movements were sure and fluid, like they had been the day before when she had been practicing. "Don't need no crystal ball to tell me so. Whispering in the air, hoping that my words find you somewhere." Road spun around on stage, her hair piece making its cheerful noise and her dress flowing around her legs, her bare feet moving in a rhythm only she seemed able to hear and create. The musicians on the side of the stage, close enough to be heard clearly and yet out of sight to put all the attention on her, followed the young gypsy girl's movements as she set the pace of her performance. "Even when I close my eyes, I'll never recreate the Time that flies. The consequence is hanging there- - -The sky will fall but I don't care."

Road's body began to follow her feet's rhythm more confidently, her body flowing as naturally as a child's can. She began to move from the center stage, taking up the whole platform to enchant as many people as she could, her golden eyes shut as she danced alone.

"Meet me beneath my balcony and say, no one but you could ever fill my night." Road's eyes opened and she smiled entrancingly sweet. Tyki watched as the crowd ate up her dance, closing in on each other in order to see the girl better; he smiled indulgently, turning his gaze fond as he looked back down at his niece. "Be the sunlight in my every day; underneath my balcony I'll say no one but you could ever fill my night. Be the sunlight in my every day."

Tyki, from his safety perch on top of the world, saw a flash of red he had already began associating with Lavi Bookman Jr. It was quick and out of the corner of his eye, but it drew his attention like a moth to a flame. The color wasn't solely Lavi's, Tyki was aware, but he couldn't help his reaction when he saw the color. Relief and giddiness warmed his chest and he smiled when he saw Lavi just as entranced with his niece as everyone else was; the red head's emerald eyes, both of them as it appeared the boy liked his sight being perfect in the darkness of the night, were locked onto the flowing child of only six seasons on the stage.

"Your love is haunting me, and all I want is more to set me free." It was quite late, though. Her excitement at finally getting her wish to perform combined with her practices and just settling again was working against her body. Tyki could see the exhaustion catching up to her, though it was doubtful anyone else would be able to. Road's eyes opened again, lazily, her moves getting sluggish as she struggled all the more to stay up past her bedtime; instead of disturbing the rhythm of the song and dance, it added to it, making it more ethereal, more beautiful. "Whispering in the air, hoping that my words find you somewhere. Do you hear me call your name? I know we will never be the same." She spun in a lazy circle, her eyes drooping, a sleep-filled smile taking over her face. Tyki straightened, preparing himself to amaze everyone with a finale even Road would be proud of. "The consequence is hanging there. The sky will fall but I don't care."

Tyki jumped, landing beside his niece as she stumbled gracefully and lost her footing. He caught her before her body even decided to fall, the motion as fluid as if it had been rehearsed and planned. Picking the girl up gently, Tyki watched as her face burrowed into his chest, Lero getting squished between them as her left arm hung towards the ground. Pressing a kiss to the girl's forehead, Tyki turned to the audience.

"It appears that our beautiful little princess has worn herself out." Tyki called, bowing as best he could with his slumbering niece. The crowd applauded, albeit a bit quieter than they would have normally considering the sleeping child; somehow, Tyki managed to catch Lavi's eyes as the boy smiled uncertainly. He nodded once, and as a wide grin covered the red head's face, the gypsy addressed the crowd. "Thank you all for humoring a child." Smiling wickedly at the audience, Tyki allowed his Tease to finally take flight from his shoulder, making the others fly out of his outfit as well as he and Road vanished backstage.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Year three, in which promises are made and broken.

"Why does everyone call me a Moyashi?" Allen asked furiously, stabbing at the food on his plate. He was sitting in between Tyki and Road, the girl giggling as she hugged Lero to her tightly and stuck her tongue out at Jasdero and Devito, sitting across from Allen and Tyki. As was usual in their clan, especially for the main Noah, they were having a family dinner before starting their performance. It was tradition, one that had started when the Earl began this clan, that once they were settled in they would all eat together. It brought luck and prosperity, so he said, and it was the only time the main family mingled with the rest of the troupe for dinner. As such, their eating tent was tied open, connecting to Fiidora and Wisely's eating tent.

The Millennium Earl ate peacefully at the head of his table, ignoring Cross' drunken calls and attempts at wooing one of the women in their troupe from two seats down. Mana sat directly beside the clan leader, ignoring the idiocy next to him as he ate, his body tense as he held himself back; the man had picked up a strange cough that refused to leave him a few seasons back, one Tyki was suspicious had come from Tricia. Normally, they wouldn't be allowed contact with anyone other than Miranda as they recuperate, but the Earl would have none of it. He had told them that, as part of the main family and as the important parts of their performance, they would continue to mingle with the rest of the troupe. Sheryl sat across from Rhode, eating calmly despite the worried look in his eye that kept him glancing in the direction of the healing tent where his wife lay for the past couple of days. Though her cough had disappeared, she had picked up a strange illness before they reached the town, and Miranda had been working tirelessly to bring her health back up.

None of the adults took much notice of the children, seated right beside them.

"Maybe it's cause you're so damn small." Devit taunted, shoveling food in his mouth and wincing slightly when Tyki kicked his shin warningly. Jasdero let out a squeal at the annoyed look on his brother's face, flicking some of the soup from his bowl across the table. It splattered on the wood, leaving dark drops as it was absorbed. Tyki kicked him as well. The both of them stuck their tongues out at him, ignoring the warning look Tyki sent them. Jasdero looked down and continued playing with his food; Devit turned a sharp glare back at Allen, his smirk already way too smug. Tyki put his chin on his hand, wondering how the main family already looked so conniving from five seasons up. "I mean, you're already eight seasons old, and you're smaller than me and 'Dero."

"I'll get taller!" Allen made a face at Devit, who roared in laughter at his indignant tone. Jasdero mimicked him, though he didn't seem to know what he was laughing at. Skinn, sitting on the other side of Road, glowered at them out of the corner of his eye. Allen's face flushed even more. "And you're not supposed to use bad words like that, Devi." Devit stuck his tongue out at Allen as well, though the action was more taunting then when he had done the same to Tyki. Unable to resist, Allen retaliated before continuing sullenly. "Anyway, if I'm so small, why'd you give me Road's bear when I asked for him earlier today?"

"Lero!" Road added in a squeaky, high pitched voice, holding the bear in front of her face. Sheril started a bit at the bear's voice, but the appearance of Lero was put to the side quickly; Road's golden eyes darted to her father quickly before letting Lero say his piece. She knew better than to have him out at the table, and she was taking advantage of her father's distraction to break the rules. "Yes, Lero! Why listen to such a small fry, Lero?"

"Road, Lero, not you two too!" Allen wailed, catching Mana's attention from the other end of the table. Across from Allen, Jasdero giggled madly, his tangled blonde hair falling into his food as he leaned over to draw invisible designs on the table. His voice was soft, growing louder as he spoke on until he was nearly shouting.

"Too, too, to, two, two...five." He laughed insanely again at his own words, drawing more of the adults' attention on them. Even Wisely was turning around from his table, looking with furrowed brows at the weird blonde. Devit reached over casually and shoved Jasdero's face into the food in front of him, carefully shutting him up as the blonde struggled against his hold. The slightly saner twin rested his arm nonchalantly on top of the blonde head for a moment before removing it, allowing his brother to come up for air. Jasdero glowered darkly at him, but slumped back in his chair and didn't retaliate.

The adults went back to their conversations. Wisely turned around again, and their combined tents were once again filled with chatter and the noises of people eating. After a few seconds of allowing things to settle, Devit reached over and flicked Allen's forehead, answering his earlier question.

"That's 'cause Tyki was behind you and he was giving us an extremely good imitation of the Earl's Look." Allen whined unintelligibly at both actions and words, and turned accusing silver eyes on Tyki. Tyki, in return, raised an eyebrow at his cousin. Lifting one hand in a placating gesture, he shot a narrowed eyes look at the younger twin who called him out. He so hated bring brought into their little spats, and there were always so many of them because of the way Jasdero and Devit were.

"I was nowhere in the vicinity." He lied smoothly, drinking from his cup to avoid speaking any more. Allen pouted at him, clearly not believing him at all. Tyki placed his cup down gently and began picking at his food. With a quick sidelong glance at his brother, the boy of eleven seasons picked up his utensils and began mimicking the polite way his brother ate. Jasdero, still fuming about being pushed into his food, flicked some soup at his twin. "I had already been in the town..." At the sentence, Devit seemed to forget about attacking Jasdero again; as one, they both turned, their gold eyes sparkling in amusement. Tyki's own golden eyes narrowed; he wondered vaguely how the Millennium Earl found so many people with golden eyes.

"In the town, huh?" Devit repeated calmly, ignoring Jasdero as he giggled again, mimicking 'town, town, town...'. The dark haired boy's attention had completely changed, and he was leaning on the table with wide eager eyes. Tyki's eyebrow went further up, and the boy of eleven seasons leaned onto the table as well, bringing his face close to Devit's. To his surprise, the younger boy didn't move or anything, holding his ground for the first time against the older gypsy.

"You have a theory on what I was doing in town that does not include our normal obtaining of food." Tyki said quietly, only loud enough for the children to hear; the adults weren't paying them any mind, and he wanted to keep it that way. It wasn't a question, and Tyki felt his heart race. "You have a largely false assumption." Devit blinked, leaning back in his seat. His hand went to his waist and deftly removed one of the two golden guns that had been presented to him and his brother on their last birthday celebration, twirling it almost smoothly in his left hand; his golden eyes glanced quickly at the Millennium Earl, ensuring that his attention was still off of them, before he opened his mouth.

"I don't understand half of what you just said." He started, almost whining. The older gypsy felt his shoulders release a lot of tension; his plan to use bigger words than the boy was comfortable with worked, and Devit now had something to focus on that wasn't Tyki. "It's not fair- - -we haven't started schooling with the Earl yet." Tyki shrugged, a small smile on his face.

"Uncle Tyki means that you have the wrong idea about what he was doing in town." Road told them, sending a sweet smile at Tyki. He shot her a gentle smile, though he bit his tongue. He'd forgotten Road had already started her education; he hadn't counted on her siding against him, though. Devit laughed, spinning the gun faster. It wobbled on his finger, the motions less smooth as his focus was brought back on track.

"I think it's right." He said smugly, a smirk growing on his face. Tyki's hands clenched on his utensils, his eyes narrowing at the younger boy. Devit shrugged a shoulder, his eyes far too perceptive for a child of only five seasons. Unfailingly, the Earl chose wonderful additions to their little family. "After all, I'm sure if me and 'Dero followed you on one of your trips, we would probably see something interesting."

"Yes!" Jasdero giggled, choosing that moment to actually focus on their conversation, his own gold eyes wide. His voice got louder, and this time Devit did nothing to avoid gaining the attention of the adults at their table. Jasdero's voice cut over everyone, even Cross's flirting, as he added, "Especially because you took so much longer this time for such a simple task, and you came home much dirtier than usual." Tyki opened his mouth to retaliate, anger coursing through his body.

"Boys, boys!" The Earl said lightly, his joyous voice cutting all conversations to a stop, even the ones in the adjoining tents, and causing everyone to look at him. "Leave our poor Tyki-pon alone. It won't do to gain up on him. A two against one fight is never fair, no matter how you look at it. However," his glasses glinted and there was a curious and slightly malicious aura around him. Tyki pursed his lips, looking down at the Earl's food in deference. He had known, ever since he's delivered the food, that he would be questioned. The young boy had thought that he would have had more time, to prepare and come up with a viable answer, but Devit's actions and words had put him on the spot. He fought the urge to send the boy a dark glare, instead focusing on the Earl as the man spoke. "Devit has a point, my boy. I had meant to question you after dinner, but what took you so long?"

"My apologies, Lord Millennium." Tyki said, placing his glass down on the table with a gentle hand and light fingers. He caught Sheryl's eye briefly, and his older brother smiled slightly through his own distractions. Tyki sent him a closed lipped smile back before refocusing on their leader. "I had noticed something rather new in town- - -there appears to be a carnival coming through town this month. It should be here within the next week or so." There was truth in his statement. Lavi had shown him the paper when they'd finally gone to get groceries, talking excitedly about clowns and games and such. Tyki hadn't said much at the time, but he had glared at the paper in the red-head's hands as if it had offend him personally, and in a way, it had, simply by existing at all; he hated carnivals with a passion, as it their mere existence took away business from his family's lifestyle, and the way the carnival people acted outside of business gave traveling performers like them a horrible reputation.

The Millennium Earl's glasses flashed again as everyone began hushed conversations about the carnival that was soon to be taking up performance space; worry about how they were going to be able to manage this season took up most of the adult's conversation. It spread like a wildfire all the way down to the other eating tents, and the Earl steepled his fingers together as he thought. As he expected, the news of competition erased his actions and took up the bigger part of everyone's focus; Tyki sighed, going back to eating with a knowledge of him being cleared.

"Don't worry too much about the carnival, everyone." The Earl laughed finally, once again stopping everyone's conversations. He had taken up his utensils again, cutting into the meat that was placed before him. The entire table looked at each other then at him, curious, as the Earl continued on as if they hadn't just been given bad news. "They're fun things, things that should be appreciated. After all, nothing lasts for too long- - -chances are, they'll be on their way shortly. Eat, everyone, eat! We've got a big season ahead of us!"

As everyone resumed eating and their previous conversations, Road and Lero leaned over Allen, looking at Tyki curiously. He looked back, keeping his face as impassive as he was able, wondering what it was that they wanted to know. Jasdero and Devit had been pacified by the Earl's words, and had started bickering over something or other; they were still young enough that their attention could be easily diverted, and Tyki wished that his niece and Allen would share the same trait. Road looked like she was mulling something over, and Allen was following her lead as he always did.

"Devi is right, Lero!" The girl started with Lero's voice. Her gaze moved to her father before she lowered the bear a little, so that her eyes met Tyki's much easier.

"He is," She continued with her own, her tan face resting on the bear's head as her blue-purple hair framed her face. Her fingers tapped the stuffed animal in a nervous sort of way, pressing the cloth inward gently. There was a blatant curiosity in her voice, her eyes demanding answer from her beloved uncle. A quick glance to his left showed Allen was the same way, though he was also working on eating the small mountain of food in front of him. "Unfortunately. Just a bit, anyway, because it doesn't explain why you were so dirty coming back home, Uncle Tyki. You aren't clumsy, so what happened?"

Tyki looked his niece over- - -the girl was seven seasons old now, the only one in their entire main clan to have been born among them instead of found somewhere while traveling. She was one of the main family girls, one of the only ones in fact, and as such she was spoiled rotten by everyone around her. Even Lulubell, one of the first found, always found some way to get the girl what she wanted, at least, in her own roundabout, supposedly uncaring way. She was far too used to getting her way, and it felt strange to Tyki that he was keeping something from her; especially something as big as this. Still, it wouldn't due to tell anyone how close he was getting to Lavi. The Earl wouldn't like it, and if he spoke of it to anyone, there was always a chance that he would hear.

"I must have been like that before I went to town, what with our traveling just ending." He said casually, picking up his glass again; despite being children, all they had were wine glasses to drink from. It was a gypsy camp, after all, and so while he was not allowed to drink alcoholic beverages just yet, Tyki, as well as all the other children, were just as adept to using them as the adults were.

"Hm." Road didn't believe him; it was clear in the way her own gold eyes narrowed thoughtfully, but she sat back down and continued to eat without much of a second thought.

Tyki sighed internally with relief as he continued eating as well- - -despite his outward calm appearance, his heart was fluttering so loudly in his chest, he was surprised the Millennium Earl himself couldn't hear it. As he ate, he began ignoring the sounds of the family dinner around him; his mind was soon overtaken by Lavi, and the events of the day. 

He had run into Lavi in town again, because the Bookman apprentice had been loitering by the food stall where they usually bought their groceries. Only this time, the red head had grabbed his hand and dragged him down to the forest at the edge of the Bookman estate, completely ignoring the fact that Tyki hadn't had a chance to wash himself and get rid of the dust settled on him or had no shoes, as he had taken them off as soon as they'd finished traveling and began setting up. Lavi's excitement at having him back was so great, Tyki hadn't even had a chance to address Bookman Senior before his apprentice pulled him away. He had stopped momentarily at the opening of the forest, deciding on what to play. They had ended up playing some sort of running game where Lavi had to try and catch Tyki; he'd grabbed him and declared the gypsy 'it', taking off into the woods. It had been too easy to catch up to hi', because while Lavi may have known the area better,Tyki was light and quick on his feet. The second his fingertips touched the red head's cheek, the gypsy pivoted and took off with Lavi giving chase after him.

Tyki had been so focused on not getting caught he'd ended up tripping over something, a tree root most likely, and behind him, Lavi had no time to stop.

He'd barreled right into Tyki, knocking him off balance far more properly than the tree root did. He'd grunted in slight pain as he fell, but their momentum didn't allow them to stop in any way; the two of them ended up wrestling on the ground, letting out breathless laughs and soft grunts. Every now and then Lavi would gain the upper hand, pinning the gypsy boy down into the dirt and trying to use his body weight to keep him down. Then Tyki would do something- - -twist his body just so, or use his weight and the ground at his back to his advantage so that he could turn the red head that way- - -and then they'd be at it again. Tyki would pin Lavi down for quick seconds, and the red head would buck his hips, throwing him off balance and then roll them over; while he didn't have Tyki's lithe form, Lavi was definitely a little bit stronger than Tyki. Their match had continued in an unending cycle of Lavi's strength and intelligence against Tyki's strategies.

It ended when Tyki pinned Lavi down fully, one hand against the ground firmly and the other holding the red head's wrists down on his chest in a gentle yet tight hold. He was sitting on the boy's stomach, using his legs to keep himself anchored on top and prevent Lavi from twisting around under him. Both boys had been panting harshly from exertion, trying to draw air into oxygen deprived lungs, their faces flushed; every now and then, one or both of them would let out a breathless giggle. Tyki had sweat making trails down the added dirt on his face, and Lavi had lost both his headband and his eye patch, his hair as wild as Tyki's and eyes shining emerald in the sun, practically glowing with excitement. Tyki felt Lavi's heart beat erratically underneath their joined hands, a fast pace that he could feel against his knuckles. His breath slowed a bit at that, knowing his own heart was pounding just as hard from the exercise- - -and glad nonetheless that the younger red head couldn't feel it. Their eyes met again and Lavi had grinned, eyes crinkling and tone warm, saying something about accepting defeat and issuing a challenge for another time.

And Tyki had felt the Tease-like feeling in his stomach again, the one that refused to be crushed last time, and had more or less thrown himself backwards off of Lavi. The red head had leaned up onto his hands, his arms shaking from exertion, and looked at Tyki curiously before something seemed to hit them both at the same time. Emerald eyes met gold again, this time panic filling them as they realized how long they'd been out playing.

"The groceries!" They'd cried, and then they were racing each other back to the marketplace, Lavi laughing at who knows what. They were both dirty, hair in disarray and for the first time in his life, Tyki didn't actually dread going into town looking the way he did; Lavi was with him, and the red head would be more than enough to have the people keep their comments more to themselves than usual. Once at the stalls where Lavi had met him, Tyki had searched his pockets, breathing an internal sigh of relief when he found the wallet still in his pockets. He hurriedly grabbed what they needed, Lavi behind him and getting what he was told to grab. Togetherc they made quick work of getting food for the entire troupe, and Tyki had never felt more relief than the moment he'd managed to get everything picked out and paid for in less than fifteen minutes' time.

They looked at one another when they finished getting what groceries Tyki needed, and with nothing to talk about, Lavi brought up the carnival almost casually as they walked to the path that would lead the gypsy back to his campgrounds. The red head chattered endlessly about it until they reached the edge of town, where they had both stopped. Lavi handed over his bag of the groceries, the one he insisted that he would help carry even though Tyki told him not to worry about it, and for a few seconds they just stood there, staring. Tyki had made an awkward promise to meet him later, one that Lavi agreed to; it made relief flood through him, because Tyki wasn't sure of the reaction the boy would get if he followed him back to the caravans again, especially because he was the reason Tyki was going back so late.

Well, it had only been part of the reason, Tyki had mused to himself as Lavi turned to head back to the Bookman estate and he pivoted to begin walking back to the grounds. The other part was the fact that Lavi, as he was, was still an outsider to the troupe, not one that was trusted by the others as he was by Tyki. The last thing he wanted was another of the Earl's reminders to be on guard around this boy who was so willingly open with him.

XxX

"Oi, Tyki." The brunette turned curiously from the mirror he had in the preparation tent he shared with Allen. They were getting ready for the beginning of the performance, though Allen was still nervous about his violin playing. The silver haired boy was currently struggling with his tie, though he'd refused Tyki's offer to help him with it. He had been watching him fight with it, amused, when his name was called. Devit had stuck his head in, Jasdero's just below it, and his lip curled unwillingly; they were being particularly stubborn, not wanting to get ready for bed even though they were too young to do anything other than sleep at this time of night. Both boys were grinning, looking entirely too awake for the older's tastes. "There's some kid out front looking for you."

"Now?" Tyki sighed, pushing Allen to the side gently and stepping in front of the mirror again and adjusting the sleeves so that they didn't fall so far past his fingertips; he still got his clothes from his older brother. It wasn't in him to complain, especially since his own clothes were being divided between Allen and the twins, but Tyki was eleven seasons old and was looking forward to when he was old enough to get clothes that wouldn't be handed down to him. It was still quite a ways off, but there was little harm in wishing time would speed up.

"Yes now." Devit snapped slightly, moving fully into the tent while Jasdero sang 'you, you, you' over and over again under his breath. They both ignored the blonde, though his twin pulled him in as well. The blonde stumbled on his feet and fell to the floor, though he didn't do anything other than laugh and keep chattering to himself while Devit handled the situation. "He's been going around, asking where to find you."

"All right, all right." Tyki sighed, putting on a face of irritation as his mind raced- - -was it Lavi looking for him? The boy was always at their performances, as many as he could get to, but this was the first time he would be actively searching for Tyki. It made his stomach drop in a manner that was almost pleasant, though he knew that meeting with Lavi now was slightly dangerous; meeting him during the performance was likely, given the red head's affinity for them in the past. But sunset was still almost two hours away, at the very least. This was not Bookman's apprentice coming for fun and games, this was him coming solely to visit Tyki. "I'll be out shortly." The boys nodded and disappeared at the same time, shoving each other as they likely headed to the tent the boys all shared to sleep in. With a slight sigh, Tyki grabbed his worn black hat and placed it on his head. After a moment of thinking, he also grabbed his jacket, just in case he didn't have time to return for it before the show. Allen abandoned his tie, watching him curiously.

"You're awfully eager." He commented quietly. Tyki made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat on his way out, but froze as the pale boy continued. "Do you think it's Lavi out there?"

"What do you know of Lavi?" Tyki asked carefully, trying not to betray the panic that ran through him at the boy's words. Allen shrugged, focusing his attention back on his tie as his fingers fumbled it again.

"I know nothing." He said finally. "Just that I've seen him around. He's nice. Very friendly. Cross doesn't seem to like him much, but I know that he's spoken politely to Road and Lulubell." His words were laced with some meaning that Tyki couldn't comprehend, and he felt a slight wave of something foul twist in his chest. He'd known that Lavi had come to watch them, but he had only seen glimpses of the boy throughout the night. There was no knowledge of him talking to the other members of his troupe, and it irritates Tyki a bit to think that the red head would seek out others, but not look to speak with him as well.

"Make sure you have yourself prepared for the performance, Allen." Tyki said finally, watching the boy nod before leaving. As he stepped out, a few other people reminded him of the boy searching for him; Road, taking her mother's place as greeter as the woman was still ill, told him that it was Lavi that was searching for him; Lulubell didn't give any hint as to who it was, but pointed almost carelessly in the direction of the living tents. The gypsy had followed her silent instructions, quickly discovering more people who's see the red head searching the camp. They remembered the general direction he went in after they finished speaking with him, but by the time Tyki appeared there, he was gone. With a noise of frustration, Tyki turned on his heel- - -

\- - -and nearly ran right over the red head looking for him.

"Tyki!" Lavi cried out, startled. He stepped back a bit, his cheeks flushed darkly as they nearly collided. The elder boy smoothly mimicked the motion, though his embarrassment at their near crash was hidden by the dark tan on his face.

"Lavi." The gypsy said calmly, hoping that his racing heart could be attributed to his running around in search of Lavi. The boy grinned widely, rubbing his face. "Did you need something?"

"You said you'd come back, and you haven't come to town yet." Lavi said, turning darker. "It's been a week, almost two, Tyki. So I came here." As Lavi spoke, Tyki noticed a young woman looking at the two of them out of the corner of his eye. She pretended to be intent on working, folding the dried laundry in the basket beside her, but every now and then he saw her lips moving as if she were talking to the old woman beside her. She was too young to not be performing, but not everyone could; this particular woman had just married a season past, and she was already too heavy with child to do anything to bring money in for their troupe.

He took hold of Lavi's wrist and began to pull him in the direction of what he secretly called 'their tree'. They were too close to the troupe to be discussing their friendship so loudly, and Tyki knew better than anyone that the Earl had ears and eyes everywhere when he wanted to. He had no doubt the man already knew of the red head's search for him; still, he felt better discussing this away from the prying eyes and ears of his troupe and family.

"Come, we'll go to the field to talk." He said by way of explanation. Lavi agreed and followed, his choice hindered by the fact of Tyki holding his wrist firmly. They walked quickly together, as the gypsy noted that much of their time had been taken up by their search for each other. It was now just over an hour until Tyki was to go and begin his introductions for their performances, which meant he had to have this conversation with Lavi quickly. He was glad that he had the forethought to grab his coat; there was no way he would be able to return to his tent to pick it up once they were finished talking.

As soon as they reached the tree, Tyki climbed up effortlessly with no damage to his outfit, Lavi following pursuit much more carefully. The red head inched his way out to sit on the branch, hanging above the ground as he talked endlessly about the past couple of days while he waited for the gypsy to make good on his promise to visit. Tyki stayed by the trunk, standing on the branch and watching the red head chatter out of the corner of his eye. The Bookman's apprentice looked much more vibrant at this moment that he had at any other time before. Tyki couldn't help but wonder if it was because Lavi braved coming to visit him on his own ground, which the red head had never done before. Sure, he'd come to their performances, something Lavi praised Tyki endlessly on, but never before had Lavi come with the intent on just visiting to see Tyki by himself, without his Tease and without the mask he wore for the public image of their group. Lavi hadn't even bothered trying to find just anyone to speak to, either, he had purposefully come and sought Tyki out himself.

He felt something strange, something he only felt in the presence of the red head boy chattering amicably, as he ignored Lavi in favor of his unasked question.

It had been weighing on his mind for the past couple of days, part of the reason he hadn't been back in town again. The last season they were here, he would sneak off if he could to meet Lavi in town. As of late, though, Tyki couldn't bring himself to do it. It had nothing to do with Lavi, though in a way it had. The boy was too open for his own good, and far too caring for Tyki's. His question hung heavy on his tongue and in his heart, making it race with an unknown anticipation. He wasn't sure Lavi would believe his sincerity, or if Lavi would even accept. There was another Tease-like feeling in his stomach again, more familiar than the feeling he had only a few minutes prior, but this was worse than it usually was; something that wouldn't go away, instead digging deep and burying itself in knots that made him feel sick. Before he could decipher what it was he was feeling- - -

"Suppose something comes from this." Tyki said suddenly in the midst of Lavi's nearly one-sided conversation, causing the red head to pause and look at him curiously. The gypsy ignored the look, watching the sun set in the distance. He couldn't believe himself, couldn't believe he'd let the words he never wanted to say come to light. Tyki was grateful that his dark complexion made light blushes invisible on his face, but there was nothing to keep him from talking now; Lavi was looking at him too curiously for the boy to let him leave the words unfinished. He swallowed something that felt suspiciously like pride and continued as unhindered as he could. "Suppose something came from us being some...some type of friends, or such. Would you come with us if you could?"

"What are you talking about?" Lavi asked incredulously; the elder gypsy heard rather than saw him pulling off his eye patch, presumably so he could see Tyki better. Tyki looked at him now, his gold eyes narrowed slightly. He had been correct in his assumption. Lavi stared at him with both eyes locked onto Tyki's face, a slight frown marring his pale features. Tyki felt the urge to smooth it away, and clenched his hands at his sides to keep them there.

"I could ask Lord Millennium, and you could join us." He said seriously. His heart was hammering in his throat, making the words difficult to come by, but he managed to force them out anyway. Lavi was gaping at him, emerald eyes wide. "Since you're still a child, it wouldn't be too hard for you to join, I'd think. It's only the adults, the ones older than sixteen seasons, that have difficulty joining new clans. So I ask once again, if you could join us, would you?" Lavi blinked once, seeming in thought, before smiling widely so quickly that it was clear the boy was riding on enthusiasm alone.

"Of course I'd go!" He cried out. "I wouldn't pass the opportunity to go out and see the world, especially if it's with you!"

Tyki felt his nerves- - -nerves! As if he'd been nervous or afraid to ask; Tyki scolded himself quietly as he pondered what it was about this boy that made his heart flutter and his nerves, of all things, act up- - -as on edge as they had never been before, calm down greatly at the red head's answer. His heart was pounding madly in his chest, and the feeling in his stomach fluttered even worse than before. Still, he couldn't imagine a moment where he was happier than this one. He touched the trunk of the tree they were in gently, feeling a small smile forming on his face as he breathed through his nose.

"So I'll tell Bookman that I'm going to go with you guys and be a gypsy now." Lavi continued, swinging his legs as this time, he stared out at the sunset. Tyki's smile seemed to be infectious; the red head was beaming proudly across the field as the sun sank just an inch more. "I'll meet you out here tomorrow, but way before showtime," Lavi grinned apologetically, and Tyki waved off the silent apology, "and I'll tell you what the panda says, ok?"

"Agreed." Tyki nodded once. Lavi beamed at him, and with it came the return of the cursed feeling. Tyki cleared his throat, touching the brim of his hat as he tried fervently to ignore it. "Lord Millennium will be looking for me soon. Our performances begin with the sun setting, and if I am not there there will be no one to open. I should be going."

"Right." Lavi watched as Tyki jumped off the branch, mindless about high they were, and easily land on the ground. Lavi began making his way towards the trunk of the tree so he could climb down as soon as the gypsy boy landed. "I need to talk to Bookman as soon as possible anyway. See you tomorrow, Tyki!" He waved.

"Until tomorrow, Lavi." Tyki called back, waving once and then touching the brim of his hat and bowing, a Tease appearing on his shoulder as he did so. The purple butterfly bit his shoulder, making him wince subtly as he began walking again. "I'm coming, I'm coming." He murmured to it as he pulled his jacket off of his shoulder and put it on. Its impatience was of no importance to Tyki, though, and he couldn't help the giddiness he felt as he began running to make it to his usual position on time. "Calm. We'll make it before the show starts."

XxX

The next day, Tyki waited for Lavi to come with great anticipation- - -they had not really set a specific time, so Tyki had gone out after lunch and climbed into the tree to amuse himself, though he was careful not to do anything too damaging to his clothes. As the hours passed, Tyki felt himself growing more and more bored; he climbed all the way to the top of the tree, staring out in every direction over the horizon. The sight it gave him was beautiful, but Tyki knew he could see better from up high and was using the height to check to see when Lavi would appear. He also kept a close eye on the sun- - -he'd have to leave right when the sun hit the horizon, as he still had to get ready for that night's show. If he stood, he could see the carnival setting up just a ways away. They weren't prepared to open just yet, so Tyki imagined they had a couple of days yet to perform before everyone went to the carnival.

He glowered at the colorful set up, using it as a scapegoat for his frustrations, but didn't move from his spot.

Hanging upside down on the branch, Tyki made a slight face when a Tease landed on his nose when the sun was almost touching the ground. With little effort, Tyki pulled himself into a more firm sitting position onto the branch, moving back until he met the trunk of the tree. Settling himself comfortably against the trunk, Tyki tried to reason with the Tease on his nose.

"Just a little longer, then we'll go." He promised. The damn thing bit his nose in reproach. "OW! I could stay here all night if I chose to, you know." The purple butterfly bit harder; though it was easier to train and control, every now and then it would be difficult like this again. Tyki knew he deserved it, though he didn't want to admit it. "OW! Will you stop that?" Tyki snarled slightly, letting out another pained cry when the Tease bit even harder before he could yank it gently off his face. Holding the wings spread open between his hands, Tyki glared at it. "You aren't helping." He sighed, lowering the Tease into his lap and releasing its wings. It fluttered them slowly before taking flight and perching itself on his shoulder. "I suppose it's my fault, though, isn't it?"

The Tease fluttered on his shoulder, its wings brushing Tyki's face. It seemed that the older and bigger Tyki got, the bigger the purple butterfly got as well. It was still just bigger than his palm, but his palm was slightly bigger now that he was eleven seasons instead of just eight.

"Maybe this was wrong, asking him to join us at the moment." Tyki tried rationalize out loud. He'd found, over the seasons, that if he wanted to work something out amongst himself, he could always talk with his Tease. Their conversations, though one-sided, always managed to bring forth a clarity that he sorely needed. By this point, he no longer felt silly spilling his secrets and words to a butterfly. The Tease understood him almost as well as Road did, though it was severly lacking in an advisory department. "After all, we hardly need the bad luck that would surely come as a result of his joining." The Tease fluttered again, almost encouraging, as Tyki stood once more and watched as the sun finally touched the horizon. It felt like the beginning to an end, not only of the day that had just passed, but of something that could have been much bigger. The sight of it nearly made Tyki choke up, and it was with determination that he forced the tears down. "It'll be showtime soon. Let's go."

With that, Tyki jumped effortlessly off the tree branch and headed towards his family's camp, determinedly ignoring the empty and disappointed feeling slowly filling him up.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Year four, in which reunions are abundant.

Tyki closed his eyes as he allowed himself to sit on the floor beside one of the caravans, feeling the long months of travel fading away in the familiar setting. It wasn't a feeling quite like coming home- - -gypsies didn't have one true home, but it felt so similar to the description that it was the only way Tyki could think to describe it. He leaned against the wooden wheel and just breathed in the warm air; listening as they set up all their tents, feeling familiar dirt beneath his feet and hands, with his face turned towards the sun as he basked in its warmth as if it was the first time he felt it.

It had been a long while since they were last here; it felt like far too many seasons to count, though Tyki knew it had only been three full seasons since they left. The Millennium Earl had decided that they needed a change of scenery, and when their last season here ended, he'd taken them farther North than they'd ever been before. Tyki felt a grin quirk up a side of his mouth as he recalled the strange sights he'd seen alone. There had been other clans they'd run into, of course, being in unfamiliar territory, but it had been of no matter. Gypsy groups were very tolerant of their own, and Tyki had been sorry indeed to see the North behind them when they'd left. The experiences, both with them and among his own clan, were far too interesting to just abandon after three seasons. Along with the new friends he'd made, they'd also managed to find snow. Apparently, the cold white substance was a constant in the North, and while some of the older members of the clan relished in seeing it again, Tyki and the other younglings had never seen it before.

That had been quite an experience.

The change in scenery helped Tyki as well. After Lavi had promised to speak with Bookman and failed to meet him at their loosely appointed time, the gypsy hadn't seen the red head for the rest of the season. He even snuck into town a couple of times, hoping violently, and not once had he run into the boy; several times, he'd found himself outside of Bookman's estate, but couldn't bring himself to cross into its territory to demand Lavi see him. It bugged him to no end that Lavi would make such a promise and then vanish as completely as he did, without even a trace with which to find him. At eleven seasons, he hadn't been heartbroken per say, but he'd felt betrayed enough to realize Lavi had somehow managed to trick him. He'd been furious for days afterward: at Lavi for acting as open and friendly as he did before turning around and proving himself to be no better than anyone else he'd ever met as a gypsy, but more towards himself.

He clearly hadn't learned anything from the last time such a thing had happened to him, and amidst his anger, Tyki could also remember feeling relief that it had somehow slipped his mind to ask the Earl about Lavi joining their troupe. It would have been harder to deal with Lavi's harsh rejection by himself if the Millennium Earl knew about it as well. As it was, he'd had a difficult time alone this time, but the passing seasons had a funny way about bringing wisdom along with age. Tyki felt now that back then, he should have known better than to ask such a foolish question to a boy who had what Tyki didn't- - -a warm home, the respect of people in his town, and money for things he wanted. Nothing that Tyki could offer or anything the gypsy would want of his life anyway; but now he understood, when before he hadn't, that these were things that other people wanted. His lifestyle was suited for him, that much Tyki knew, but it would not be suited for Lavi, who had more prestige in his town than he knew what to do with.

Who really wanted to abandon their life when they lived in such a way to travel with gypsies anyway?

"It isn't fair!" Road's voice rang out, irritation lacing her words and making her voice loud, and Tyki's eyes snapped open just in time to see the girl coming over. She plopped herself down on the ground next to him, her skirt floating in the air before accepting the pull of gravity, grumbling to herself for a few moments. Tyki watched her, bemused, while he waited for her to get her thoughts in order. She was quiet for a long moment, and when she spoke, his niece didn't raise her gaze to meet his. "Uncle, can I ask you something?"

"Anything, darling." He murmured in response, sitting up properly and hugging the girl to his side. Her hair was long and matted, a result of traveling the long distance they just did, and she had pulled it over her shoulder to pick at the knots that had formed. His arm was wrapped around her shoulder, and absentmindedly Tyki began gently untangling her hair as well. Her gold eyes met his and she pouted at him.

"How old were you when you started performing?" Tyki blinked in surprise at the question, but thought carefully as he worked on his niece's hair. He'd had to wait a couple of seasons before he could start, that much he remembered right away; most of that time had been taken up by training the Tease as best he could, though he had still been training them long after he had started performing, and learning to balance properly on smaller and higher bases.

"I believe..." Tyki thought back carefully, trying to do the math in his head. His niece demanded an answer, and the look on her face told him that she wanted a serious one. "I believe I was seven seasons. Why do you ask?" Road pouted more, her hands falling to her lap as she abandoned her work on her hair. Tyki hummed as he continued; he had a decent singing voice, though it was nothing compared to Road's or even Lulubell's. Still, it was soothing and it seemed to help Road gather her courage.

"And Allen was eight seasons when he started." She muttered after a moment's silence. "Even Jasdero and Devit have been given permission to begin this season, and they're eight seasons as well, almost nine seasons. Why can't I?" Tyki's eyebrow rose in surprise, though his hands continued working- - -so that was the reason behind her sudden interest.

"It's because you're our darling." He said, fingers in her hair as if to help get the tangles out. Tyki had stopped his motions, however, instead just rubbing his fingertips soothingly against her head. "You're still our little princess. Besides, Lulubell doesn't perform as often any more, now, does she?" Road squirmed uneasily but shook her head. "You aren't the only one, then."

"But Lulubell got married and is forming life within her. I'm not!" Road slumped a bit before something else seemed to come to her. "And anyway, I did perform once, for my birthday!" She cried, sitting up properly. Before Tyki could respond, she scrambled to her feet and stood in front of him. "Tell me I'm not ready to perform."

"You are not ready to perform." Tyki repeated almost instantly, laughing slightly when she let out a noise of frustration.

"Really look at me, Uncle Tyki, and tell me I'm not ready." Road insisted, stomping her foot. He wanted to tell her that her actions alone proved that she wasn't ready, but it wouldn't be true; Jasdero and Devit were no where near being able to perform given their actions, and to chide her for her frustrations wasn't something that should be done. Resigned, Tyki sighed, but decided to humor his younger niece.

Her hair had grown as she did. Even tangled and matted as it was now, the blue-purple locks fell to her waist. Lero was back in the room she used to share with Lulubell, as she insisted she no longer needed to carry what had been her near constant companion since birth any longer. She was wearing one of Tyki's shirts,as usual, though she now had clothes passed down to her from the blonde gypsy, and underneath the semi-white button up material were black pants that hugged her legs tightly, the material worn slightly and filthy from traveling. Her hands were on the black belt that hugged the shirt to her hips, her weight placed firmly on one side of her body. Her head was tilted the opposite way as Tyki's eyes raked up and down her form, her gold eyes daring him to tell her she wasn't ready. Being ten seasons, she had only just begun to develop into the woman she would soon be, and Tyki wondered absentmindedly if she would be married soon. It wasn't something Sheril would consent to, but if the Earl demanded it Sheril would have no say in the matter.

She was barefoot, as was the unsaid custom when they weren't traveling, and she shifted slightly, crossing her arms just under her chest. The action brought attention to the fact that she was growing up, her developing breasts making a small yet noticeable bump against the dirty white material; when Tyki's eyes met hers again, Road raised a delicate eyebrow in mock of Tyki as she waited for his response.

"Well?" She demanded slightly, her bare foot tapping against the hard packed dirt below her. Dust billowed from the action, coating her feet in another fine layer of dirt. Tyki smiled as he stood, Road watching him suspiciously as he stretched upwards, reaching for the clear blue sky with his fingertips. Leaning down, he grabbed her crossed arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Uncle Tyki, that doesn't answer my question!"

"I'll see if I can't convince Lord Millennium to allow you to perform, at least for this season." Tyki said as he pulled back. His words clearly did wonders to Road; her face split into a wide grin, and she threw her arms around Tyki's waist as soon as he released them.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Her voice was muffled by his chest as she squealed into it, and Tyki laughed slightly. Patting her head and deftly avoiding snagging his fingers in more knots, he hugged her tightly before releasing her once more.

"All right, all right." He murmured in her ear when she would release him. "Let me go speak to Lord Millennium now." She let him go instantly. Out of the corner of his eye, a pale movement caught his attention; Allen was walking on the road, shoulders slumped dejectedly. Tyki watched as Allen headed into town to get their food, a sorrowful look on his face that was clear even from the distance with his back turned. "Darling, why don't you go with Allen into town to get the groceries?" Road followed Tyki's gaze, and her gold eyes turned sad and pained.

"This season is the second season, isn't it? It really hit him hard, huh?" She murmured back respectfully, keeping her voice lowered. "Allen hasn't ever been the same since." Tyki looked a bit upset as well, still watching Allen as he trudged along alone.

That had been the only downside of the trip. The further North they had gotten, the sicker Mana had become. Miranda had been beside herself with exhaustion, often staying up two or three days in a row to nurse the man properly back to health. Mana's health fluctuated wildly, and not a single soul had been allowed to visit lest he accidentally contaminate the rest of the clan. He had seemed stable, even better according to Miranda's reports when she took a quick bite, until they came across a town called Maitek; then, his health plummeted so suddenly, it stunned them all and left them reeling.

Nobody took his death harder than Allen did, of course. The boy, who had barely been nine seasons, couldn't handle the death of the man who had been like a father to him. He'd been inconsolable, and the Earl finally had to risk any bad luck by keeping in contact with the small boy in order to comfort him better. He'd allowed Allen to stay in the tent he shared with Tyki and the twins, though the younger boys moved into another tent for the month.

He tried the best he could, but it quickly became clear that he was ill-suited for comfort. It had been a battle, but one the elder gypsy boy won; Tyki had Road moved into their room once more, as the boy had been plagued by nightmares. More often than not, Road ended up with Allen's face against her neck, his arms around her waist, as she tried to soothe his quiet tears. She seemed to be the only one who could calm him, as she had always been the one closest to Allen, and she took the duty with ease. Tyki would sit awake with them, watching as Road comforted the younger orphan into a dreamless sleep that left him more tired in the waking hours. Now, with Allen being newly turned eleven seasons, the memory of Mana's death during his birthday season made the boy unwilling to do much on his adoptive father's death anniversary.

With a sad sigh as she realized she wouldn't be present for the conversation with the Earl, Road leaned up and pressed a kiss to Tyki's cheek. Murmuring a 'don't forget, ok?' against his cheek, she turned and ran after Allen; Tyki watched with a mixture of sadness for the boy and amusement for his niece as she launched herself at Allen, her arms wrapping around the pale boy's waist from behind as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. Chuckling quietly at Allen's loud surprised noise and the way he nearly fell with Road's weight suddenly at his back, Tyki smiled slightly when the boy's face brightened a bit.

"Do your best to distract him from his sorrows of today, my darling." He murmured. Shifting to his heels and stretching again, Tyki wondered at where to find the Earl as his back popped. It would be best to speak with the man right away; the sooner he could keep his promise to Road, the sooner he would be able to relax until their performance. He wondered vaguely if he should practice a bit more, because their extended travels meant that new additions had been added to their performances.

A hand fell on his shoulder, interrupting his musings, and he turned slightly to come face to face with the Millennium Earl himself. "Ah, Lord Millennium."

"Tyki." For a moment, they watched Road and Allen walk towards town together, Road skipping and singing behind the pale boy. Allen turned to keep her in his sights, though he didn't seem to be joining her. "I want to talk to you, young man." Tyki turned, intrigued as the Earl did the same to face him. Though he couldn't see the man's eyes, as usual, Tyki could tell this would be an extremely serious conversation; one the would require more deference than necessary. The Earl hadn't added a suffix to his name, and for the first time Tyki could remember in his entire life, his leader had referred to him as 'young man', which meant only one thing was on the leader's mind.

"Y-Yes, Lord Millennium?" The younger gypsy cursed himself for stuttering, and resolved not to do it again. It was bad enough the conversation was taking place, he wasn't about to make it worse by betraying his nerves or the fact that it wasn't something he himself wanted. The man didn't answer for a moment, merely studied him a bit more intently than normal. He may not have been able to see the golden eyes his leader shared with the main family, but Tyki could feel their piercing glare all the same. Tyki felt his face lose blood as thoughts raced through his mind, discarded only seconds after he'd thought them as he tried to prepare himself for the coming conversation. Marriage. Lavi. Allen, and the sorrow that still hung around him like a shroud two seasons later. Banish- - -

"What am I to do about your niece?" The Millennium Earl wailed suddenly, turning from serious to comical in a quick wail of concern. Tyki blinked in surprise and confusion, his mind wiped blank by the sentence. "I know she wants to perform, and I would love nothing more than to let her, but she's still so young!"

For a moment, Tyki couldn't think of a response; relief of some strange kind filled his body, and he relaxed his shoulders, not knowing when they'd become tensed. Then a smile graced his face, and he couldn't help but shake his head as he released a breath he hadn't realized was caught in his chest.

"I firmly believe," He said slowly, measuring his words carefully. Tyki thought of his examination of his niece and her fierce declaration, complete with attitude and frustration. Remembering his promise, Tyki looked out in the direction Allen and his niece had gone running off to, and told the Earl rather firmly, "that Road is more than old enough to make her own decisions about her abilities. She's very adamant about performing, Lord Millennium, and this is one battle of wills that I fear she may best you in. Perhaps it would be wise to let her, for this season at least. If it does not go well, then at least you can say that you made an attempt. And if it does, well then." Tyki shrugged almost carelessly. "We will have a wonderful addition, don't you agree?" The man had been nodding as if Tyki's suggestion made sense, and the gypsy boy felt pleased that his leader was taking him so seriously. He was only fourteen seasons of age, after all, and though he was nearing adulthood, there was still quite a ways to go. Tyki felt pride flare up in his chest while the Earl's hand went into the air as an idea struck him.

"I'll have Tricia make an outfit for her, then!" He said in a cheerfully singsong tone. "She'll perform as soon as possible- - -our little singing princess. At the very least, now we have Lulubell's spot filled for the moment while she's indisposed." Tyki laughed slightly as the Earl turned to walk away, wondering how the blonde was going to take the news that Road would be her replacement. The Earl was whistling, but the older man had taken no more than two steps before pausing and stopping his cheerfulness. "Are we going to be seeing Lavi-pon anytime soon this season, Tyki?"

Tyki froze at the slightly sharp words that were clearly spoken- - -it meant the Millennium Earl had learned about Lavi in some way, at some point in time. The leader of their troupe knew the reason behind all his past forced smiles and brushed off questions about how he felt for the past three seasons; the Earl must have thought nothing of it until they'd arrived back in the town where Lavi lived with Bookman. Now he was questioning if Tyki would reach out to the apprentice again, though he didn't betray his thoughts or any feelings he had on the matter. Tyki forced himself to take a deep breath and relax, his eyes narrowing slightly as he thought back. It was no matter if the Millennium Earl knew what had happened in the past or not- - -the Bookman's red headed apprentice and so-called heir wouldn't be stopping by to visit. He'd made that much clear to Tyki the last season they had been here.

"No, he shouldn't show up around here anytime soon." He answered calmly. Though he'd earned more control over his emotions as of late, learning how to keep them out of his voice as he spoke, Tyki couldn't help but feel his heart stutter painfully in his chest. It was related to Lavi, and he knew it; the younger gypsy ignored it, remaining firm in his convictions. The Earl nodded once, Tyki hearing the movement rather than seeing it.

"It was a curse to allow him to get so close, Tyki. Bad luck indeed." He winced slightly at that, not expecting the harsh and judging words to be shot at him. It was more than a slight jab, almost as if he had been told he had been the reason Mana died, albeit as indirectly as he was involved. It had been Tyki who allowed Lavi to come in, be closer and closer to the gypsy, and as a result, Mana grew weaker and weaker. For a moment, one long horrible moment that wouldn't leave his mind, Tyki wondered what would have been different if Lavi hadn't gotten so close. Would Mana still have died, causing Allen to look like something in his heart had been crushed, if Lavi had remained as far away as possible? Or would the man still be pulling through on his own strength, one day at a time? Had his failing health come from Lavi insisting on following Tyki back to camp that fateful day, or had the man's age finally caught up to him?

Was his blood on Tyki's hand, his death weighed down against him?

Tyki sighed in consternation, whirling around to face the leader and ask the questions burning in his mind, but the man was already gone.

XxX

"Where are they?" Sheril bit his finger nervously, Tricia releasing her sewing to place a comforting hand on his arm. Her eyes were just as worried as her husband's, though, and neither seemed to know what to do. It had been almost two hours since Allen and Road had gone into town for groceries, and though the timing wasn't surprising in and of itself, the heavy storm rains that had suddenly appeared made their absence worrisome. Tyki paced back and forth, reminding himself of Mana when Allen had gotten lost in the town buying groceries all those seasons ago. The Earl had loved to tease Mana, telling him he was such an over protective father for someone who had no children of his own. The man had waved off his words with a laugh, though he never ceased his pacing until Allen returned to him. Tyki had always marveled at the fact that the man could remain in the same spot with such worries gnawing at him; Tyki himself was unable to do such a thing, and as his worry grew, so did his restlessness.

"I'm going out to find them." Tyki said finally, heading for the edge of the tent, his golden eyes hard and determined. The flash of lightening and the crash of thunder that followed made his words more dramatic than they actually were, and made Tricia jump and gasp with fright. Sheril grasped hold of his wife's shoulder; though he said nothing either way, Tyki could see in his brother's eyes the plea he wouldn't voice, the one that said 'bring my daughter back'.

As he neared the entrance of the tent, Lulubell sprang into sight and grabbed his arm firmly, her gold eyes gazing blankly into his. Tyki tried to pull his arm from her grip to continue walking, but the older gypsy woman held him easily in place. She forced Tyki to stop and face her, not allowing him to take one step closer to the entrance of the tent. Their eyes clashed in a battle of wills, and for the the first time since the storm started, he heard her voice.

"No."

"She's right, Tyki-pon." The Earl sat by the fire in the middle of their tent, looking as though he were calmly sitting and knitting. Only the main family could see the tenseness in his fingers, the strain in his voice as he worked on keeping the worry he felt for his two missing favorites hidden from them. It was only barely working. "You can't hope to accomplish much in such a storm. It would be best to await their arrival here, wouldn't you say?" The man's voice hardened a bit- - -a gentle command and a warning. Tyki acknowledged with a bow, accepting the man's worry as his own. The leader of their clan simply didn't want to lose anymore of their number to the storm. Tyki understood it; he respected it, even. But his niece was out there, as was his cousin by clan, and if there was nothing to be done by pacing, then Tyki would put himself to good use by bringing them back home safe and sound.

"Forgive me, Lord Millennium, but I'm going to try anyway. It's better than sitting around and waiting for them to come back." Tyki pulled his arm free of Lulubell's grasp and raced out of the tent. He headed instantly towards the town, the storm instantly soaking him completely and the wind blowing so hard it hindered his ability to move forward properly. Such was the noise that followed that he didn't even hear anything anyone said to him once he'd left he safety of the tent; instead, he focused on forcing his feet to carry him to town and his eyes on searching the sides of the road, looking for clues as to the disappearance of Road and Allen.

He ran hard through the streets of town, having reached it much sooner than he'd thought and glad that everyone was inside- - -it made searching for his niece and cousin that much more easier. With the town knowing to whom the two belonged to, it was very unlikely that they were indoors and being kept sheltered from the rain. The notion of them being indoors was so ludicrous that the idea refused to enter his mind, some instinctual part of him reassuring himself of that. If they were indoors, they could be in trouble; not even little trouble, either, it would be something hat would cause Tyki to snarl and fight for their safety. With a shudder that had little to do with the biting wind nipping at him, Tyki renewed his energy in finding the two and hoping that they were safe. They might all hold a place in the main family, but it was little Road who was everyone's favorite and he had problems thinking of his small niece in trouble.

And Allen...Allen had gone through enough the past three seasons, had he not?

Shaking his head, Tyki turned a corner that looked vaguely familiar in the downpour only to ram right into someone coming from the opposing side, the both of them falling to the ground with a splashing noise. Tyki thought he couldn't get anymore wet than he already was, but it looked as though he'd been wrong. Amazingly, his clothes managed to soak up even more water from the ground, though there was now the added disadvantage of them being caked with mud once they dried off. Tyki let out a groan of annoyance and pushed himself up off of the ground, not even stopping to help up the other person who'd fallen. He'd been about to step around them, still intent on finding Road and Allen, when a hand clamped down on his wrist.

"I'm so sorry!" The other person yelled, using the gypsy to pull himself up onto his feet again. Tyki shook his head, shaking his arm in an attempt to release it. He nearly slipped back into the ground, though, and the other wasn't letting him go.

"It's fine!" He yelled back, thinking that the reassurance was what they wanted and they would let him go now. Above them, thunder rumbled and rain pelted them even harder. Lightening had streaked through the sky only seconds before, illuminating the sky in a bright light that had the gypsy seeing stars after so much blackness. The other had slipped onto the ground again, nearly bring down the older gypsy boy with him. "Shit!" Tyki bent a bit, feeling the rain land heavily on his head and weight his hair down, ignoring the fact that his white shirt was semi-see through and absolutely filthy. Absentmindedly pulling the other to their feet as they struggled to their feet again, Tyki's eyes traced the road he was about to go down as he mentally checked off the places he'd already looked in against the ones he still had to check.

There were so many places they could be...

"...ki? Tyki!" With another pull on his arm to jolt him from his worrying thoughts, Tyki turned his head so quickly he felt something crack in his neck. His sight was nearly adjusted to the dark once more, but he couldn't believe what he was seeing in front of him. All at once, everything froze around him as he looked, unable to process fully what he saw. Staring back at him, his emerald eye wide and disbelieving yet incredibly happy as well was none other than Lavi, his eyepatch and pale face as familiar as the sun had been earlier that afternoon.

Tyki stared back at him with his mind blank, feeling slowly returning to him; he became faintly aware of his teeth chattering together in his skull, his body trembling violently as the wind continued its assault on his body. Lavi held his attention, though, the red head looking so far beyond thrilled it nearly pained Tyki to see such a look on his face. He had no idea what he was supposed to do in a situation like this, but Lavi clearly did. The red head threw his arms around Tyki, hugging the older gypsy to him tightly as if he was afraid Tyki would disappear. Warmth bloomed down Tyki's front, though the elder boy wasn't sure what to do with his hands as Lavi clung tightly to him. The feeling of rain soaking him thoroughly was slowly coming back, and Tyki's mind began processing the icy water forcing his filthy clothes to cling to his body again.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you!" The red headed boy yelled in his ear. His voice was dripping more of that promised warmth and comfort, only just a little bit deeper than what the gypsy boy was used to. Tyki was so stunned he didn't do much, just stood there with his mind racing and thoughts of finding Road and Allen clashed with the unbelievable news that Lavi was here, standing before him whole and well. He didn't know what to do, and in his surprise, he had completely shut down. After a moment, Lavi pulled back, confused. His visible eye searched they gypsy's blank face, his hands framing the cold cheeks and spreading of that startling warmth up his face. "Tyki...?"

The gypsy snapped out of it when Lavi called his name again, suddenly remembering himself and the situation he found himself in. Scowling lightly- - -the boy was, what, thirteen now? He should know better than to just go around touching people's faces, especially ones he broke promises to- - -Tyki pushed the million questions and accusations he had to the back of his mind. As much as he would love to fight with Lavi now, there were more important and pressing matters at hand than the silly words of small children. The gypsy reached out and pulled the boy's face close to his once again, moving them so that his lips brushed the apprentice's ear.

"Have you seen Road or Allen?" He yelled back, letting the more pressing issue at hand take precendence over anything else. Lavi pulled away to beam at him again, so hard that his eye scrunched up and closed. He leaned forward again, using Tyki's shoulders to balance himself as his mouth was by Tyki's ear. It shot more of that strange warmth up Tyki, though this time it centered more on his face. The elder gypsy hoped furiously that he wasn't blushing in front of Lavi, and forced himself to focus on the red head's words.

"I was just headed towards the camp right now. Follow me." Slightly distrustful despite himself, Tyki hesitated only a moment before he obliged, making sure Lavi stayed in his sights at all times. It didn't matter that the red head was no longer trustworthy in the gypsy's eyes; he had information about the two he had been searching for, and that was all Tyki needed to go after him. As they walked, the red head holding tightly to his hand and dragging him back along the way he had come, Tyki allowed their inability to converse with each other become an opportunity to see how Bookman's apprentice had changed in their seasons apart.

Lavi had gotten just a bit taller, but Tyki was still that much taller than he was. The red hair would have been as bright and vibrant as ever, had it not been forcefully matted down and darkened by the rain, and the water soaked green headband still kept it out of his face; it did nothing to stop the rain from pelting his face, and so rivers of water were running down in graceful curves. If Tyki squinted slightly, he could still make out the spot where the knot was tied in black string that held the boy's clearly well loved eye patch to his face. He seemed a little paler this season, his hand trembling just a bit in Tyki's and a cough coming from him the gypsy saw in his shoulders and back more than heard from his throat, but he still seemed to be talking about a mile a minute though he knew they boy behind him couldn't hear him, so Tyki didn't let it worry him too much.

Lavi lead him to a gate that looked completely unfamiliar, opening it easily and motioning for him to follow. Tyki did so hesitantly, finding himself in awe of a single story home that was spread to have enough space to fit at least half, if not all, of the caravans they traveled in. It wasn't the Bookman's estate, something Tyki could tell right off the bat, and a new emotion joined the hope that ran through him; fear, and a deep, deep seated voice told him that the house in front of him was bad news. Suddenly, Tyki was not sure this was a good idea.

It seemed Lavi held no such limitations, as he simply bounded up to the door and let himself in.

"Kanda-sama, Yuu-chan!" He called into the house from the entryway, his voice loud and jarring in the silence. It was much clearer than in the rain pressed against Tyki's ear intimately, and the elder gypsy was jarred by how much has changed in the past three seasons. Lavi's voice certainly hadn't cracked so much when they were younger, nor had it had that tone to it. "Lenalee?" A tall woman appeared in the doorway as Lavi's voice faded away, somehow looking elegant even with a pile of towels in her hands. Tyki's eyes narrowed as her deep blue met his golden; he seemed to have struck a memory in her the way she did him, as she made a slight face.

"Ah, you brought...more." She said simply, her accent something Tyki hadn't noticed when he'd been eight seasons and trying to save Allen's skin. Kanda Yuu's mother stared at him in distaste, though she came forward with swift and fluid movements. She was wearing a simple black kimono and white socks, which provided her no traction on the wooden floor beneath her feet. Her steps were graceful and sure, the woman of the house not even sliding a bit as she stopped in front of Lavi and placed a towel gently on his head. Tyki stood just outside the door, debating on what to do. On the one hand, he had never wanted to come into contact with Lavi again, let alone anyone from the Kanda family. The look on her face told Tyki that she had not wanted to be met again with any of their troupe either, and Tyki was more than willing to oblige her and stay away.

The way she said 'more', however, caught Tyki's attention more fully than anything else she could have said.

"You have them, then?" He yelled as calmly and politely as he could while freezing in the harsh rain in her front yard. The warmth and dryness of the house seemed to remind his body exactly how cold it was in the elements. He crossed his arms over his chest, trying not to look defiant while keeping his shivers in check. Lavi was accepting more towels from the woman, placing them gently on the step in front of him. Tyki noted that the red head was dripping water all over her entryway, and Kanda-sama looked wholly unaffected by it. It was perhaps because of his Bookman name. Tyki discarded the thought the second it formed, choosing instead on the reason he was standing, soaking through, on this woman's doorstep. "My niece and cousin?"

"Come in." She said, the invitation sounding more like an order in Tyki's ears. "You'll catch your death of cold out there, and I would rather not have someone like you found dead on my property come morning. You can stay and see them once you are warm and dry." Tyki hesitated slightly; he still didn't trust the Kanda family, and Lavi wasn't any better at the moment, but those words had him convinced that they had Road and Allen somewhere in the depths of the Kanda household. As much as he wanted to believe Cross' words against anyone who happened to have more money than they did, which was just about everyone, his concern for the two main members of his family was more pressing. "Are you coming in or not?" She snapped at him, irritation lacing her words; Tyki made up his mind in that split second, her voice startling him into moving.

He jumped, stopping in her entryway beside Lavi and accepting a few towels from the red head to dry off. She made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat and stalked down the hall as he took off his shirt, drying his upper body as best he could while Lavi moved around him and shut the door against the rain.

Tyki nearly jumped when he felt a towel on his head, and he looked up to find an emerald eye and a black eye patch peering back at him. Lavi grinned widely, drying Tyki's hair as he resumed his chatter about who knows what. Tyki tuned him out, trying to squash that damn feeling once more as it rose in his stomach for the first time in almost four seasons.

Except this time, he wasn't a child. Tyki's eyes met Lavi's again as he pondered this. He was fourteen seasons of age, and though he knew he was lucky earlier with the Millennium Earl, there was no doubt in his mind that his leader would pull him aside one day soon and begin his talk of marriage. He would have to agree, because Sheril and Tricia had been around his age when they had been married, and it was their tradition. Already Tyki could hear talk about what a wonderful bachelor he was, a young gentleman with a powerful leader.

"Have you even been listening to me?" Lavi asked suddenly, making Tyki blink at him in confusion. He blushed lightly when he realized Lavi had his hands in his hair still, the towel having fallen to his neck from the younger's vigorous drying. His flush deepened when he saw Lavi's eye sparkling in amusement- - -he'd been caught staring at the pale boy. He wondered what was running through the apprentice's mind, finding the gypsy staring at him for no reason. While Lavi also looked bedraggled, Tyki looked unusually worse for wear considering the storm and their recent collision.

Then again, the Bookman's apprentice was always an odd one, and in the space of three season Tyki had managed to forget that little detail. He didn't seem to care about the mud that had gotten under his shirt or the fact that Tyki was still half wet while he was practically dried and mostly bare due to being in the process of changing; Lavi hugged him again, the action softer this time as the red head pulled Tyki slowly towards his body, his head fitting perfectly under the gypsy's even though he was half a step higher.

"I'm happy to see you too." He murmured quietly. Tyki sighed softly, allowing the boy a moment more before placing his hands on his shoulders and pushing Lavi back firmly. He had misunderstood the gypsy, and Tyki was ready to set Lavi straight; despite what the red head seemed to think, Tyki didn't follow him because they had been friends in the past. He'd only come to get Road and Allen, and once he had them, Tyki was going to take them back to camp. The gypsy took a deep breath, preparing himself.

"You never came." It was a soft-spoken accusation and not at all what he'd been planning to say. Tyki admonished himself, and yet he couldn't make his mouth form the words he had intended to say. Instead, what came out was the quiet words, as Tyki couldn't bring himself to yell in the Kanda household now that he was out of the rain, which was both a statement and a question in one sentence. Lavi bit his lip, pulling away just a bit and his face flushing guiltily. For some reason, the red on his pale face made it easier for Tyki to press on. He drew away even more, forcing Lavi's arms to fall from his neck. "You never came, and I never saw you again until now."

"That wasn't my idea!" Lavi grabbed his wrists with his hands, forcing Tyki to keep contact. Bewilderment covered the gyspy's tan face, but Lavi looked too panicked to notice it. It was almost as if the boy could read him as well as the Earl, and the thought unnerved Tyki the slightest bit. "I swear upon my life, it wasn't!"

"Then whose?" He demanded, not sure if he actually wanted answers.

"Bookman kept me indoors until you guys were gone." Lavi muttered, an annoyed glare on his face. His voice and gaze had dropped, but Tyki could tell it was less from lying and more from irritation at the old man's actions. It seemed his ability to read into Lavi's words hadn't changed either, and the gypsy didn't know how to feel about that. Lavi was good at giving him unfathomable issues to deal with. "He gave me all sorts of pointless, useless assignments that were extremely difficult. Multiple ones at a time, usually. And whenever I finished one, he had another for me. It was, God, it felt like it was never ending."

"Why didn't you try to sneak out?" Tyki asked, frowning lightly. Lavi made a slight face, shrugging.

"It's hard to when your mentor is keeping such close watch on you." Lavi murmured petulantly, kicking at the floor beneath him. Tyki reached out to him then, if only to keep the boy from scuffing marks into Kanda's well-cared for wood floor. The red head shot him a half smile, stopping his actions immediately. He picked up the towel again, drying Tyki's hair a bit more gently than before. "Bookman even gave me really really hard tasks, so when it got too late all I could do was sleep." He scowled heavily, dropping his arms and crossing them uncomfortably across his bare chest. "And then, by the time I managed to get a break, you guys were gone. After that, the old panda let up on me."

Feeling just a bit guilty he'd thought so poorly of Lavi, because there was no way the boy was lying- - -he looked far too annoyed to be telling anything but the truth, Tyki pulled the towel from his head again. Placing it around his neck, the gypsy reached out slowly and placed his hands on Lavi's face, just underneath his eyes. It was a show of his silently begging forgiveness from the younger man, though Tyki was almost startled to realize how smooth Lavi's face was. Unconsciously, his thumbs began caressing motions not unlike what he did to Road while the girl was relaxing. The red head stiffened almost instantly at the action, and Tyki paused, curious and slightly frowning.

"Lavi...?" He said softly when Lavi's visible eye closed. He looked suddenly terrified and vulnerable. "What- - -"

"Sastimos, Tyki!" The air was forcibly and suddenly pushed out of his lungs as voices crowded over each other. They were no longer alone, and Tyki had been taken down by the sudden weight that had crashed into him. The moment between he and Lavi was gone, as he was now in danger of hitting his head on the door and Lavi had lost the serious look on his face; the red head was laughing cheerfully, saying something about their party being complete now.

"Uncle Tyki, you're all wet! Were you looking for us?" Tyki, gasping for breath, looked down to see silver and blue-purple hair attached to his much dryer upper body. Allen pulled away first, his face flushed with embarrassment at his actions and already apologizing to the elder gypsy for his over excited greeting. Road looked up at him and smiled sweetly, her arms tightening around his waist as she silently told him that she wasn't ready to move just yet.

She looked so very different from that morning, and for a moment Tyki almost couldn't recognize the girl on his lap as his niece.

She was clean, far cleaner than they would ever get by bathing in the rivers, and smelled of faint lavender perfume. Her hair was brushed, completely tangle-free, and had been braided from the top of her head all the way down to the very last couple of strands. Her cross tattoos seemed darker against her dark skin because of it, all of them visible on her forehead instead of half hidden by her hair. She wasn't wearing his shirt either, presumably because of the sudden storm- - -her clothes were replaced with a light pink long sleeved shirt, the material flowing down her arms as easily as the outfit Tricia had made for her birthday and first performance. There were two buttons on her collar, and the front was lacy and frilly and so out of her character for Tyki he had to blink; the shirt was clearly designed for a young lady in mind, for it was silky soft and drawing just the tiniest bit of attention to the chest that was beginning to show. Her new outfit was completed with a black skirt that went down to the tops of her knees, and purple and pink striped socks that disappeared underneath it.

She looked beautiful.

"What are you wearing?" Tyki gaped at her. Road smiled wider and finally let him go, backing up a little and spinning around to completely show off the outfit. The skirt flowed easily with the force of her movements, and the socks on her feet allowed her to spin quickly with no stumbles on the wooden floor. She looked a bit embarrassed to be caught wearing such nice clothing, but at the same time, it was clear Road was pleased with how it looked on her.

"Isn't it cute?" She asked. "Lenalee gave it to me." Tyki sighed, rubbing his eyes and smiling slightly. Leave it to Road to play dress up while he and the others were worried back at camp. Still, he couldn't find it in himself to fault her for it; it was the first time Road had ever been allowed to dress up in something that was clearly meant for someone above her station, and she took the advantage of it any gypsy would. He hoped that she had had her full of it, though, because they couldn't keep her parents and the Earl waiting. He'd only halfway completed his task. Now that he'd found them, Tyki had to find a way to convince them to brave the storm once more so that they could be safe in the camp.

"We need to go back soon, you two." Tyki said, trying to ignore the pleading look he got from Allen and his niece. He especially avoided looking at Lavi, because the red head seemed to have stopped the moment the words left his mouth. "Everyone is worried about you two- - -especially because of today, and our remembrance." He shot a meaningful look at Allen, who dropped the pleading look and bit his lip. He looked more contrite than Road did, which leant to the notion that she had somehow been behind this.

"I told you this was a bad idea." He hissed at the purple haired girl. The younger gypsy stuck her tongue out at him before looking at Tyki and crossing her arms. Her eyes were filled with a familiar determination, and Tyki knew that he would have a hard time swaying her.

"It's storming out there." She said firmly. "That's why Allen and I haven't gone back yet. Kanda-sama said we could take refuge in her home for tonight. Can't we at least stay until the storm is through? We can go back to camp come morning." Tyki glanced outdoors again, his gaze thoughtful.

The sound of water hitting wood was just this side of violent; it appeared that somehow, the storm had managed to get much worse in the space of time Tyki had been in the Kanda household. Lightening and thunder could be seen and heard in the distance with much more gusto, as if the gods themselves were making merry with their element with no regards to the mortals below them. With the sun well and truly gone at this point, it was almost impossible to see what time it was, and it was likely they wouldn't be able to find their way back to camp. It was amazing enough that Lavi had almost managed to find it, and Tyki able to get into town in the first place. Road was insistent to stay, and though Allen hadn't really said anything, Tyki could sense his reluctance to leave as well. He kept glancing back down the hallway they had come from almost longingly, though Tyki suspected that Allen didn't realize what he looked like when he did. And Lavi...

Well, who knows when he'd get a chance to speak to the red-head again?

"All right," He said with a sigh, rubbing his temples as he turned to face them again. Road cheered and wrapped her arms around Tyki, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Allen's face brightened as well, a smile lighting up his face in a familiar way that Tyki hadn't seen for quite some time. Encouraged by the look, the eldest gypsy placed a careful hand on his niece's hair, careful not to miss it up. He chanced a glance at Lavi, who looked pleased just as a young girl leaned into the hallway to look on curiously. "We'll stay."

XxX

Lavi leaned heavily onto his arm, his visible green eye half opened. Tyki was sitting with his back against the wall, his position enabling him to keep an eye on both his niece and his cousin. Laying across the floor was the young girl with green-tinted black hair and a plain yet clearly expensive black dress. She was giggling with Road and teaching her how to play some sort of hand game, one that Road didn't quite seem to be getting the hang of. Her name, if Tyki recalled correctly, was Lenalee Lee. From her appearance at the Kanda house and the materials of her clothes, that meant that her brother was Komui Lee, a man well-known for the scientific discoveries he and his team made several years prior, as well as his almost obsessive and constant worry for his younger sister, his only remaining family. Though Tyki wasn't aware of all the circumstances, he knew the Lee siblings had lost their parents in a tragic accident many years ago. If the sister was planning on spending any more time with Road, Tyki was going to have to look into her just a little bit more.

Across from them was Allen, who had fallen asleep to the right of a seated Kanda Yuu. Tyki worried for a moment about the sense in that- - -since he had agreed to stay, and most likely before he'd even arrived as well, all Allen and Kanda Yuu did was fight. It would start with a comment about 'a certain Moyashi' and then turn into an all out verbal war heading quite quickly in a physical altercation until Lenalee stepped in to stop it, as she seemed to be the only one who could raise a hand against the Kanda boy and survive it. Once, Kanda even grabbed a sword from the wall and aimed the sheathed blade at Allen, who'd reacted to the threat by baring his teeth and snarling like a deranged cat; Tyki had nearly jumped up to grab it away and likely make the situation worse, but Lenalee just whacked the older boy in the head and took it away from him with nothing more than a 'tch' escaping the Kanda boy's mouth.

Now, however...

Allen was asleep on the ground, his hands cushioning his head. He was curled slightly, as if he was cold, and every now and then a whimper would come from him- - -a nightmare, Tyki guessed, about Mana. Beside him, Kanda Yuu sat in a medatitve pose, his back straight, his eyes closed, hands placed firmly on his knees. Every whimper or noise from Allen made his face twitch slightly, until he cracked an eye open and glared down at the sleeping gypsy. Allen whimpered again, his hand slowly sliding against the wood floor inch by inch until it hit Kanda Yuu's knee. The unconscious tenseness in his frame vanished minimally, and it seemed that that more than anything managed to soften the Kanda son just a bit. With a silent sigh, he dropped the pose and reached down, gently cradling Allen's head with careful hands as Kanda Yuu gently brought it to his lap. Settling himself and Allen slowly so that the boy would stay asleep and they would be more comfortable, Kanda Yuu glanced down at Allen; as Tyki watched, the cobalt eyes seemed to soften, though it was slight as if the boy was trying to deny it with all his mind, and his hand carded slowly and repeatedly through Allen's silver locks. Allen relaxed completely, his face smoothing out and breathing coming easier to the small boy.

Tyki looked away before he could be seen watching- - -he wouldn't want to ruin what could be something to heal Allen a bit more.

"Are you still mad at me, Tyki?" Lavi asked quietly from his side. Tyki glanced down at him, but the red head continued to stare at Road and Lenalee across from them. He couldn't imagine where the question had come from, but Lavi seemed to sense his uncertainty. "I know you were upset when you saw me earlier, even though you wanted to find Road and Allen. And I just figured that since the first thing you said to me was about how I didn't show up when I was supposed to, you were really made at me for a bit. Are you still mad?"

It was a fair enough question, the gyspy thought carefully. After all, he wasn't going to pretend that he didn't go through a phase where he had been furious with the red head leaning casually against him. He'd blamed him for the longest time, and when that anger had run its course, he turned the blame onto himself. When that happened, he began to resent Lavi for it, and felt that the feeling was justified. Even now, now that he knew the reasoning behind the boy's actions, he couldn't necessarily bring himself to forgive Lavi just yet. He understood, he did, but for some reason Tyki could not bring himself to relieve the boy of the guilt he seemed to carry around for not being there when he said he would be.

But was he still angry with him?

"I suppose not." Tyki sighed, though the sound was more fond and honest than he would have liked to admit. He felt Lavi turn his face into his arm, and felt the smile that crossed the red head's face at his answer. Lavi seemed to relax a bit more, and they sat in another silence that was filled with Lenalee's whispered explanations and their combined quiet giggles.

"You weren't there either, you know." Lavi murmured sleepily against his arm. Tyki 'hmm?'ed, and Lavi took this as an invitation to elaborate. His voice was pitched low, so as not to interrupt the girls, and Tyki almost had to strain to hear him even though Lavi was right next to him. "The next year, I mean. You didn't come back. I waited and waited every day to see you again." He yawned. "Bookman wasn't too pleased, but he'd let me wait for a little bit every day. He didn't have much choice, because I kept fighting against him all the time and there was nothing else he could do. I drove him mad."

"My apologies." Tyki said quietly back, his eyes drifting tiredly from where Road was playing a game with an aristocratic girl who treated his niece as if they were on the same class level to Allen's sleeping face as he slept in peace on the lap of a boy who claimed to hate his cousin with every fiber of his being. They looked as comfortable as if they were in their tent, and Tyki let a small smile cover his face. He wished he could be as carefree as they were, as comfortable in the household if someone much higher than he as they seemed to be. They were too young, and far more innocent than he was at their age. He wondered if that was a good thing or a bad thing. "Lord Millennium took us farther than we'd ever been before. We almost missed staying here this season." Lavi made an acknowledging noise against his side, and the older gypsy could feel his eyes sliding shut.

"For a while..." He yawned again, settling himself more firmly into Tyki's side. The pale, slender fingers began tracing soothing patterns into Tyki's side, an unconscious movement for the boy on the verge of slumber. "For a while, I blamed you..." Tyki looked down at him, curious, as the boy continued to get comfortable against him. His eye patch was still on, and Tyki placed a gentle finger on it. Lavi didn't notice. "I got kidnapped one time while waiting for you, the first year you didn't come back. Bookman paid the ransom to get me back, but..." Even half asleep, Lavi seemed to struggle with the story, a combination of not wanting to tell it yet wanting to get it out as soon as possible and of the sleep that was quickly overtaking him. "It took him a couple of days...burned my eye..." Lavi sighed quietly and fell asleep.

It took Tyki a few moments to get over his shock and surprise. Lavi had waited for him? The thought hadn't crossed Tyki's mind before, when he'd been angry at the red head for leaving him as suddenly as he did. He could picture Lavi, sitting in the tree they normally did, the sun warm on his back and watching the distance for any sign of them. Getting his hopes up every time a large group of people passed by only to have them shot down brutally when they were close enough for him to realize it was not the Millennium Earl and his enormous group of traveling performers and Noah. He waited for a bit each day. Did that mean he would sit in the tree the entire time, just staring off?With another sigh, Tyki hesitantly moved his arm; it jostled the red head a little, his head falling a short distance from his arm to his chest. Lavi made a noise at the sudden movement, but was apparently exhausted from the day and didn't wake. Tyki draped his arm over Lavi's shoulders and pulled him just a bit closer. His red hair brushed against the bottom of his face, and in that instant, Tyki hugged the Bookman's apprentice to him tighter.

For a moment, Tyki wondered if he should trust Lavi again. If the red head ever decided to disappear without word again, the betrayal would be different from when he was younger- - -it would be more intense, harder to get over alone. As it was, the innocent feelings he'd had as a boy had grown stronger for the red head against him even in their absence, and it deeply unsettled Tyki. He was slowly yet surely growing fonder and more attached to Lavi, and while the gypsy didn't mind that he was becoming attracted to a male, it bothered him that his attraction was to someone of a higher class. In the event of Lavi rejecting him once more, Tyki didn't want to have to involve the Earl or anyone else into a situation where he had to dwell in misery due to his stupidity, his own inability to learn from his mistakes. And he may not be able to forgive him a second time, if Lavi did.

Then Lavi moved in his sleep, unconsciously adjusting his arms so that they were wrapped around Tyki's waist and his head was placed more firmly underneath the older gypsy's chin. Tyki wrapped his arm tighter around Lavi's shoulders, his eyes closing as he tilted his head to rest on Lavi's. The red head murmured something in his sleep, something that sounded suspiciously like the gypsy's name, and it made Tyki smile. He wrapped his arms around Lavi tighter, inhaling deeply and getting the red head's scent mixed in with the air he breathed in.

It would be all right, Tyki decided. After all, if Lavi had been waiting for them for the past three seasons, he wouldn't want to stay away from him any longer than he had to either.

And maybe, when they both were a bit older and much wiser, they could see if he'd want to become a gypsy.

XxX

"Please don't do this again!" Tricia had her arms wrapped firmly around her daughter, Sheril holding the both of them tightly. Road struggled lightly, trying to pull away so she wasn't smothered, a bag in her hands from Lenalee. Her hair was still pulled in that tight braid Lenalee had put it in, and Tyki knew that they would be questioned about it later on. He sent a wayward glance to where Allen was standing by Cross, who had been grudgingly taking care of the boy since Mana's death. They were having what looked like a staring match; the red headed gypsy was impassive, a cigarette in his mouth. Allen was looking a mixture of contrite and defiant, his gaze never wavering. Cross glowered at Allen for a long moment before beginning to turn away.

"The next time you do this will be your last." He muttered warningly before turning away completely. Tyki moved over to Allen when the man disappeared, touching his head softly when the boy bowed his head to hide the hurt that flashed through his eyes. The pale gypsy leaned against Tyki, and the elder ran a single hand through the silver hair. They looked out in the direction where across had vanished, and let the noise of Sheril and Tricia's reunion with their daughter be the only thing to disrupt the silence.

"He means well." Tyki said after a moment. Allen rubbed his eye with his clothed left hand, sniffling just a little bit. The elder didn't say anything; such a situation was something that Mana would have not approved of, but he would have been as relieved to have Allen back as Sheril and Tricia were to have Road. Tyki felt for the young boy at his side, knowing that there was something in Allen now that would take quite some time if it would ever mend.

"I know." He muttered thickly. "Doesn't make him any less of a bastard."

"Language, Allen." Tyki chided gently, rubbing the boy's head again. "It isn't proper for a boy of eleven seasons to say such things just yet." Allen nodded again and sighed. They were quiet once more, simply watching as the troupe began a proper set up of their camp. The mud that had come from the rain was clearly making it difficult, but they persevered nevertheless.

"Do you know when this season ends?" Allen asked curiously, looking back at the town. Tyki watched him out of the corner of his eye, wondering about the sudden interest in their movement. When he responded with a negative, Allen nodded absently. His gaze never left the town. "Do you think the Earl would mind it if I spent most of my time in town this season?"

Now Tyki looked at the silver-haired boy fully, a frown on his face.

"I don't think he'd mind, per say..." He said slowly, trying to carefully choose his words. His thought from the previous night, that Road and Allen were remarkably young and much more innocent than he himself had been at their age, came back to him. "Though he would want to know why, Allen." Underneath his gaze, Tyki watched as Allen turned five shades of red and stammered something about swords and the color blue- - -

And Tyki understood.

So that was his reasoning. With a grin, he ruffled Allen's hair, which made the boy cry out in shock and surprise. Allen looked at him, his eyes narrowed in what would be a glare if he hadn't been pouting at the same time. Tyki leaned forward almost conspiratorially, a knowing look in his gleaming eyes. It seemed to make Allen uncomfortable, if the way he leaned back was any indication.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with the Kanda family, would it?" He asked. Allen managed to turn another shade of red, to the older's immense amusement. "Specifically, the youngest son, Kanda Yuu?"

"Enough!" Allen hissed, his face a dangerous shade of scarlet. Tyki chuckled slightly until Allen spoke again. "You like Lavi, so you have no right to tease me!" Tyki choked a bit, staring down at Allen with wide gold eyes. "I saw you both a few moments before we all woke up to come home. You were both sleeping, arms around each other. It was like watching Sheril and Tricia when they sleep...except, you know, Lavi isn't a woman. And you are nothing like Sheril." Determined silver eyes glared resolutely into shocked gold ones, and for a moment Tyki battled: to tell, or to keep it secret?

Allen snorted and Tyki felt himself crumble.

"We'll do it together." He agreed grudgingly. The boy looked a bit confused and wary, as though he wasn't entirely certain as to what Tyki was agreeing to. "That way, Lord Millennium isn't as suspicious as he would be."

"Deal." Allen said instantly. For a moment, their gazes met again, and Tyki looked at the boy who was his adoptive cousin fully for the first time in far too many seasons.

His silvery-white hair was falling into silvery-gray eyes, his pale face dark with blood. The dark red on his face hid part of the tattoo that covered his left eye and cheek, though the red pentacle on his forehead remained. At eleven seasons, he still hadn't remembered anything before Mana found him stumbling around on the side of the road while they traveled. Tyki's gaze dropped down to the button up shirt that was his own as well, the white cloth not covering the place on Allen's shoulder where the burn mark began. Tyki had only seen the mark a few times, as Allen strived to keep that part of his body hidden from everyone; they all assumed he'd had the habit long before Mana ever saw him, because he was extremely good at it, and had been since they found him when he was supposedly four seasons. He was wearing loose black pants and was barefoot, like the rest of the group; Tyki entertained for a moment the idea of Allen one day leaving them, because he was so different from the rest of the group that took him in. He had the type of skin that never tanned, only burned, and despite the love he had for his adoptive family, Allen always seemed to have a different goal in his mind, one that differed from the family desire to wander from town to town for performances.

With a sigh, Tyki ruffled Allen's hair again, ignoring the boy's surprised noise.

"Come on." He muttered finally. "Let us get food and inform everyone else we are back. Lulubell had been adamant about me not leaving during the storm. I wouldn't doubt that she would be as pleased as she could get to see us alive and well." He glanced at Road before steering Allen away. "Come, quickly, before Sheril and Tricia decide to strangle us as well." As they raced around the camp, Tyki felt something forming in the pit of his stomach, something that felt warm and happy, a completely welcome feeling.

He threw his head back and laughed, feeling completely at ease for the first time since he was eleven seasons and making plans in a tree with Lavi.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Year five, in which intense dramatics happen, shit goes down, and the waiting party makes a brief cameo.

* * *

Tyki and Road sat at the edge of the main wagon, their legs dangling off the edge as they watched the ground go by. They were heading back to the town that housed Lavi, Kanda, and Lenalee, which Tyki had affectionately nicknamed 'Black Order Headquarters' due to their constant state of black dress; to his surprise and amusement, the nickname had stuck so that whenever Road, Allen or Tyki talked about their stationary friends as a whole, their new name for the town slipped out. It made for interesting conversations when talking with other members of the troop, because it was almost a sort of inside joke that only the three of them knew.

The carriage moved at a pace far too quick for them to keep up with by walking, but much slower than usual. Skinn was driving, his wife and child seated by his back so that it would be easy to relay any orders to him. Road and Tyki were seated together in the far back, simply watching and listening. His niece had her hands spread across the wood behind them, her arms straight and keeping her upper body from touching the floor. Tyki leaned against the strong cloth of the caravan, his legs running underneath Road's arms. With the exception of yet another muffled argument between the Millennium Earl and Allen, who were in the section of the wagon between the two and Skinn, and the creaking from the wheels below them, the air around Tyki and his niece was filled with silence.

"It's been like this for too long." Road finally muttered unhappily, bending her arms at the elbows until her back hit the bottom of the wagon and she could tilt her head back against the wood. Her actions forced her uncle to move his legs, but he followed her gaze because he knew exactly what she was talking about. Through a small sliver of space where the Earl had drawn a curtain to give the pair an illusion of privacy, they could just make out Allen's face; withdrawn and full of uncharacteristic anger, silver eyes rimmed with black and full of stubbornness, he looked completely unlike the boy whom they loved and whom Road had grown up with. "He keeps making such a fuss, and all for some boy who's seventeen seasons and will most likely lose interest in him once he has him for longer than usual." Sighing slightly, Road looked away from what she could see of Allen and turned to face her uncle again. She had changed too, because of the constant arguments, looking unhappy and resigned in the face of their cousin's turbulence. "Even you and I aren't as upset to leave Lavi and Lenalee behind."

"He's gotten too close to the Kanda son, as he's wont to do. We all knew this would happen at some point." Tyki murmured back tiredly; rubbing his hand over his eyes, the older gypsy lay a hand next to his niece's as he thought of something to tell her he hadn't already said. They were growing up too quickly for his tastes. Allen was turning longing eyes more frequently in the direction of their 'headquarters', and Road was experiencing her first true heartbreak at fourteen seasons because of it. "He was always one to get too attached too quickly. It was endearing as a child, but now it's causing far too many fights. Darling- - -"

"Don't 'darling' me!" She snapped, standing suddenly and making Tyki blink up at her in confusion and surprise. Road stood for a moment, fists clenched by her side, trembling from keeping what she truly wanted to say inside. There was a deep scowl twisting her face, strands of hair falling from the braid hanging down her back and framing her fierce gold eyes. "He can't leave! Allen's part of our family!"

"I never said he wasn't, but Road- - -" Tyki tried again, but she cut him off almost violently as she stamped her foot on the ground. Her balance was not as impeccable as she thought, as the action made her stumble just a bit, but she knocked Tyki's hand away when he reached forward to help her. As she steadied herself, all of the hurt and anger she'd been keeping bottled up spilled out of her suddenly.

"He shouldn't even be having these thoughts! What, does he plan to just abandon us after all this time?" She hissed, trying not to alert anyone else to the topic of their suddenly heated discussion. Her lip curled at the thought, her golden eyes narrowed and suspiciously wet. "How dare he! It's not his place, he's only fifteen seasons, he's not even an adult! How dare he try to make decisions like this on his own, as if he were smart enough or old enough to!" Road had begun pacing shakily during her rant, fury and hatred in her eyes. She was still trembling, though now it was more due to anger than anything else; her arms began waving wildly as she spoke, adding to the crazed rant she begun. "Is this how he plans to repay Mana for taking him in? Is this his payment to us for accepting him into our family with open arms the way we did, when no one else wanted him? This-This absolute betrayal? I'll go tell Allen that under no circumstances can he just- - -let me go!"

Road was so engrossed in her tirade she didn't notice Tyki behind her. She turned, ready to make good on her threat to interrupt the Earl in order to speak with Allen, only to have her uncle grab her arms and keep her back. Her fury at Allen bled over to irritation at her uncle, and Tyki had to use his full strength to keep her back. The movement of the wagon wasn't helping either of them, who had to divide their attention between fighting and balancing on the moving wood.

"Calm down, Road!" Tyki grunted out- - -despite being a girl, Road was much stronger than she looked. And now, with fury and hate running through her, the adrenaline rush made her even harder for him to contain her. As she was now, though, she was bound to say some choice words to Allen that would surely alienate the two from each other for some time. Tyki didn't want to be caught in the middle of it, and he was sure no one else in their little group did either. As much as he loathed to put his hands to her in a controlling manner, she left him with little choice if they wanted to preserve some semblance of peace.

"Let. Me. Go!" She yelled this time, not bothering to keep her voice down as she had before, freeing one of her hands enough to swipe it around; the knuckles and back of her hand caught Tyki in the face as the younger gypsy girl spun to glare at her uncle, the force behind it snapping his head to the side with an audible slap.

They both froze, and the argument behind them came to a stop as the sound died down. There was no movement for a long moment, the only sound coming from the creaking of the wagon below them.

Road's eyes, narrowed in her anger, slowly widened as realization dawned on her. Her mouth worked soundlessly, trying to come up with something that could possibly save the situation that had gotten out of control. Tyki wouldn't look at her, still stunned by both the fact that she had hit him and the strength behind such a strike, and she felt panic welling up in her. She was already at odds with Allen, Tyki knew. The young girl didn't want to have her uncle upset with her on top of that, or the looks and whispers that would come from her striking a man of nineteen seasons of age. Still, having only fourteen seasons to her age, she didn't have the slightest clue how to fix the situations she found herself in.

"Uncle...?" She whispered quietly. Her hand, still in the air, retreated slowly as she brought it level with Tyki's face. Shaking slightly still, though now from fear and worry, Road gingerly touched the abused cheek; her breath was caught in her chest when he winced, dropping her other hand and yet still not facing her. She could hear Allen heading over, calling out to see if everything was all right, but they both ignored him for the moment.

Tyki was surprised by the amount of strength behind the slap; already, he could feel blood rushing to his face and a bruise forming on the abused flesh. Road touched it with her fingertips, making pain spike through it once more, and Tyki drew away from her more, putting space between them just as Allen managed to make his way through. He still looked angry, though it was significantly overshadowed by the image of Road and Tyki before him. His concern for them overcame the anger at their leader, which was no small matter, but it did nothing to sway Road to be as close to him as they were before. She turned her head to the side, pointedly not looking at him.

"What happened?" The younger asked quietly, silver eyes glancing from a stunned and turned away Road to a subdued Tyki and back. He seemed to be waiting for Tyki's niece to answer him, even as it was becoming quickly obvious that she was still harboring feelings of fury with him. Silence descended between the three, and it quietly became awkward.

"Nothing much, Allen." Tyki said at last; Road's head didn't move, but her golden eyes glanced at him out of their corners. She looked unsure and frightened, and he met his niece's surprised gaze firmly. Her eyes watered slightly at the stern look in his own, and Road bit her lip and looked down after a few moments. Satisfied that she would follow his lead and keep her silence, Tyki turned to Allen. "It's fine. Nothing to trouble yourself with. Right, Road?" Road nodded stiffly, her lower lip trembling.

"It's nothing." She murmured tearfully at her uncle's prompting. Allen frowned in concern, but when he reached out to touch her shoulder, she pulled away. His fingertips grazed the shoulder of her arm, and her swift withdrawal from him had Allen flinching back as if he'd been burned. "It's fine." She hissed, her gold eyes narrowed and accusing. Allen drew away with a surprised look.

"Tyki-pon?" The Millennium Earl finally joined their group, his hands falling firmly on Allen's shoulder. Though he was addressing Tyki solely to figure out the situation, the Earl's gaze felt as though it traveled between the three of them. "What's going on?" His hand squeezed Allen's shoulder, and the boy's face turned uncomfortable at the pressure. Despite the worried tone of his voice, Tyki could tell that the Earl in no way forgot what had been happening between himself and Allen Walker a few minutes prior. 

"It's nothing, Lord Millennium." He answered, but the man seemed to forget everything when Tyki turned to face him fully. His bruise was darkening by the minute, and it was very visible on his face now. "Ah, Tyki-pon, your face!" He cried, pushing Allen to the side in order to see the other's face better. His fingers touched Tyki's chin, tilting his head to the side to better see the bruise blooming on his face. "What happened?" The man's gaze didn't move, but the atmosphere cooled. "Road."

"I..." Her voice failed her again and she didn't seem to know what to say. Between her uncle's silent insistence that she stay quiet about the matter, and her leader's direct order to speak what happened, it was clear that the girl was struggling to decide. As she opened her mouth again, the eldest felt it prudent to interrupt her before she said anything.

"It's nothing, Lord Millennium, truly." Tyki insisted, pulling his face away slowly so he wouldn't anger the Earl any more than he already was. The situation at hand was delicate, and it wouldn't do to make everything worse by getting his niece in trouble. "It's fine. A little bruise won't hurt me or anything." The Millennium Earl's lips pursed, but he let the matter drop as soon as he released Tyki's face.

"If you say so." He said decisively, casting a warning glance at Road. She dropped her gaze again, her fingers grabbing hold of her skirt and twisting her fingers into it. "Come, Allen." The Earl said firmly, reaching out to touch Allen's shoulder again. "I have not finished talking with you yet."

"There's nothing to talk about." Allen hissed, his stance becoming tense and his eyes narrowing again. The Millennium Earl seemed surprised, but the presence of both Tyki and Road made it almost impossible to say anything. He was not supposed to be having this argument in front of an audience; any grievances were kept private between the Earl and the culprits. Allen knew this.

"You're acting cruelly." Road told him instead, her eyes flashing as she took out her anger on the one who caused it. Tyki groaned silently and rubbed his temples- - -this was exactly what he'd been trying to prevent this season past. Allen and Road were too close for anything the girl said to not have anything aimed specifically at harming the boy. "Would you really abandon everything we've done for you? Everything Mana's done for you?"

"Road, please- - -" Tyki tried to get between them, but she moved around her uncle.

"What if he leaves?" She demanded of no one in particular. Nobody answered her, and she turned her golden gaze back at the boy closest in age to her. "He's older than you, Allen, and he's not one of us. He wouldn't understand you!" Tears were growing in her eyes, but her own stubbornness refused to let them fall. "What would you do then? You'd have nothing, Allen! No precious samurai, and no family to come back to. Is he really worth that?" The boy flushed, wincing as if the words physically struck him, and Tyki rubbed at his eyes again with a sigh. Silence followed Road's tirade, nothing but the creaking of the wheels and her heaving breaths. Even Lulubell and Skinn were suspiciously silent, waiting to hear what happened next.

Allen bolted forward suddenly without a word, startling everyone in front of him; Road reached out to stop him, but she just missed him as he jumped out of the moving wagon. Nobody moved; Allen had managed to shock them all with his apparent disregard for his own safety.

"Go make sure he's ok." The Millennium Earl murmured harshly, glasses flashing. The gypsies winced at his harsh tone, which was heard even over the surprised calls of Sheril in the wagon behind them. The Earl raised his voice just a bit, making certain the blonde knew his orders. "Lulubell, tell Skinn to slow down so that Tyki and Road can get off!" The wagon slowed almost instantly, making the three occupants on it stumble a bit- - -Tyki caught his niece's arm, giving her a small smile as a show of forgiveness; she gave him her own shaky one in return- - -before regaining their footing. As soon as they were steady, Road and Tyki jumped off and headed towards the tree they saw Allen running.

XxX

Lavi stood precariously in the tree, his hand blocking the sun from his face as he took up the watch he started way back when he was eleven- - -watching the distant horizon for the familiar caravans of the Millennium Earl and his Noah. Below him, more willing to wait than he'd like to admit to anyone, Kanda leaned against the trunk of the tree. Every now and then, Lavi heard his grumbled annoyance drifting up to him, but he dutifully ignored it the way a self-proclaimed best friend should. Besides, he knew Kanda had been missing Allen immensely- - -it seemed harder and harder for the pale gypsy to separate from the swordsman with each passing year, something that hadn't escaped the apprenticed Bookman Jr's notice.

Lenalee was sitting next to Kanda, her hands trailing mindlessly in the dirt as she giggled each time Kanda complained. She had a book open in her lap, the only source of entertainment the three had, besides the sword Kanda kept attached to his side since he got it at fourteen. He'd affectionately named it Mugen, and was especially fond of trying to skewer Lavi with it.

"Any sign of them yet?" Lenalee asked him anxiously. Lavi took a break from scanning the distance to smile down at her. He could hear in her voice how much she missed the young gypsy girl who had begun keeping her company and allowing Lenalee to dress her up like a doll.

"Not yet." He called down, looking up to scan again. Lavi felt his heart pound in his throat- - -he was missing his own companion, the older gypsy that was able to reduce him to nothing more than a stuttering mass of body as easily as the older breathed. As the friendship between the two became stronger over the years, Lavi had found himself noticing little things about the other boy. Small things, like how Tyki would have Tease appear at random moments while with the red head, or how his gold eyes softened whenever they met his own. Even things like how protective Tyki was of everyone in their group, and how he seemed to be the runner up in Tyki's affections after his niece and cousin. Lavi found himself hoping fervently that Tyki's affections ran deeper than familial ones- - -while he himself wasn't sure whether or not his feelings were classified as the ever-elusive 'love' everyone sought in their lifetime, Lavi knew that his own affections ran deeper than friends or family.

And this was to be the year, he decided. This year he didn't want to wait for Tyki to seek him out; he'd approach the older gypsy on his own terms, and the red head would confess when he felt he should. He knew Kanda felt the same way for Allen, though he'd never let it through the cold mask he kept firmly in place. Even Lenalee was nursing her own budding crush on Road, to Lavi's amusement. They'd all seemed to have chosen a gypsy to befriend and managed to fall for them, making them a strange little group in their town.

"Oh!" Lavi grinned suddenly. "I think that's them, guys!" Kanda muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'finally!' while Lenalee stood up, closing the book and holding it firmly against her chest.

Lavi stayed in the tree, his hand against the firm trunk, and watched as the caravans went by. He recognized Tyki's older brother, Sheril, leading the caravans, his hand on the side of the horse in the very front as the man chose to walk to their appointed campground. In the drivers seat was his wife, Tricia; even from the distance, Lavi could tell they were clearly in love and, at the same time, purposefully ignorant of Allen's own guardian, Cross Marian, behind them. The man looked drunk as he was slouched behind Tricia, facing the insides of the wagon and yelling at what was probably Jasdero and Devit. The twins were the only ones who managed to get a rise out of the red headed gypsy when he was especially drunk.

Lavi continued to watch as Skinn came behind them with Lulubell, searching what he could for Tyki, Road, and Allen; as he looked, he wondered in the back of his mind who would be the first one to be seen.

Allen, to Lavi's surprise, was the first one out, his bare feet hitting the ground as he jumped from the still-moving wagon. He lost balance and almost fell on impact, but managed to steady himself without falling. His hair was in disarray, his chest heaving and fists clenched. Lenalee made an alarmed noise as he did so, nearly dropping her book in surprise. Lavi glanced down briefly; Kanda's face was set in a dark scowl, his hand gripping so tightly to Mugen that his knuckles were turning white. He didn't say anything to them, instead raising his voice and addressing Allen directly.

"Oi, Moyashi." Kanda called harshly; the tree was close enough to the road that Allen heard Kanda clearly. The boy's silver eyes met the swordsman's cobalt and Allen bolted towards him, his arms wrapping around the taller male's waist and his face burying itself in Kanda's chest as soon as he was close enough. Kanda let out an undignified squawk at the sudden contact, one that he denied fiercely later, his hands going to the boy's shoulders as if to shove him away. Allen tightened his grip, his body shaking slightly. He was clearly distressed, and Kanda glanced almost wildly at his friends before slowly wrapping his arms around the pale gypsy.

Lavi forgot to look for Tyki; instead, he dropped down to the ground and shared a confused look with Lenalee. Allen was clearly upset about something serious, and none of them were equipped to deal with this properly without knowing what it was. It could have been something about Mana, because the man's death anniversary seemed to coincide with both Allen's birthday and the Noah's return to their town, but with the way Allen was acting, it didn't seem likely.

"Moyashi-chan...?" He asked softly, reaching out to touch Allen's shoulder.

"He's been in trouble with Lord Millennium lately." Lavi and Lenalee turned to see Tyki standing behind them, looking apologetic and worried, a red-purple mark covering a good side of his face. Behind him, Road peered at them, sending a grim smile at Lenalee briefly before locking her gold eyes on Allen.

"It isn't fair that you're doing this, you know." She informed him coldly, her words tinged with exasperation, as if she had been saying the same thing for a long while. Allen stiffened a bit at her voice, and Kanda turned a dark glare at the younger Noah. She returned it fiercely, dislike growing on her face at the sight of him. "It's only going to destroy the whole family. And it's started already, thanks to you and your stubbornness."

"What is Allen trying to do?" Lenalee asked curiously. Tyki smiled vaguely at her, placing a warning hand on his niece's head. Road's eyes flashed before her face and demeanor changed completely. They watched, Tyki with a vague sort of amusement, as she grinned at Lenalee as if it was the first time she had seen the girl.

"Lenalee!" She cried, racing around Tyki to wrap the girl in a tight hug. Her sudden change made Lavi and Lenalee blink, Kanda returning his attention to Allen as Road chattered away. She sounded almost normal, completely different from the cold words she had for her favorite cousin. "Sastimos, Lenalee! How are you this day?"

"I'm fine, but- - -" Road pulled away with an exaggerated gasp of surprise, her hands going to the other girl's shoulders as they began a conversation about who-knows-what. Even now, at eighteen seasons and with Lenalee as his friend, Tyki still had no more understanding of the girls he met and knew than he did ten seasons previous; he learned to let them do as they pleased and tried to stay out of their way when he could.

"Wait." Lavi stood in front of Tyki, frowning in confusion. His eye was locked on the gypsy's cheek, concern building in the green orb. "What happened to your face, Tyki?" The red head didn't wait for an answer; instead, he reached up and gently touched the area around the mark. It stung, and Tyki's eye scrunched up slightly in response as the red head inspected it with light fingers.

"It's nothing." He said insistently, though his tone was flippant. Road's lips had pursed, glancing back at them just a bit. Tyki met her gaze out of the corner of his eye and, with a slight shake of his head, she turned back to Lenalee. "Just a bruise." Lavi's visible eye narrowed lightly.

"What happened?" He asked quietly. Something about it didn't feel right to the red head, especially with how flippant and quiet the gypsy was about it; Tyki had never before come to see him with such an obvious mark of punishment on his face. Actually, the elder gypsy never seemed to have any kind of bruise on his person at all. Seeing one now didn't exactly sit well with the red head, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. "Did you get in trouble for something?"

"Of course not." Tyki covered Lavi's hand with his own and pulled it away from his face. As he did so, he allowed their fingers to intertwine. He watched with slight amusement as Lavi's breath caught in the boy's chest, his eye darting from Tyki's face to their hands and back quickly. His attention properly diverted, the gypsy leaned forward just a bit so that there was less space between their faces. Lavi's face instantly flushed crimson, nearly matching his hair in intensity. "You shouldn't worry yourself so, it's not healthy for you." Lavi smirked slightly, trying to recover.

"You're not healthy for me." He replied back, not missing the flash of emotion going through Tyki's eyes and the raised eyebrow. Rolling his eyes, Lavi leaned forward and gave Tyki a brief, yet tight, hug. The gypsy was warm, and firm against his own body. Tyki embraced him back, inhaling the familiar scent of Lavi. "I've missed you. Let's walk around for a bit. You can tell me what's been happening to you all lately."

"Later, Lavi." Tyki ruffled Lavi's hair as he pulled away, dislodging the ever-present green headband but not the eye patch. His eyes traveled to where Road and Lenalee were watching them, and where Allen was finally pulling away from Kanda. His voice held no room for any other idea as he said firmly, "after we help settle in. They're going to need us to set up all of our tents before nightfall. Come along, Road, Allen." As they said their goodbyes, Allen just a bit more reluctant then Road, Tyki pulled Lavi close. His lips right by the red head's ear, the gypsy didn't miss how the boy shuddered as he whispered his instructions. "Meet me just outside the town Lavi- - -I'll see if I can't have a replacement and spend more time with you tonight. Ok?" Lavi nodded, a grin on his face as he tried to control the blush taking over his face and the racing of his heart. With a smirk, Tyki waved once at him before following Road and Allen in the direction of the stopped caravans.

XxX

Lavi walked with his fingers tangled with Tyki's, the older having permission from the Earl to roam about their area despite the approaching night and subsequent opening performance. He'd used the same logic on the Earl as he had when they'd discussed Road beginning her own act. Jasdero and Devit had been coveting the opening act for far too many seasons, eager to excite the crowd with their own performance. The Millennium Earl had agreed to let them cover Tyki, though it was with some clear hesitation that he allowed them to do so. Tyki knew he was disapproving of the time that they were spending in town with the three aristocrats, but didn't know how to assuage the fears of their leader.

Perhaps there was nothing to be done. Allen had brought Kanda to the campground earlier that day, right as they finished setting up, and hadn't been seen for the rest of the day. His tent was his own, and not even Cross dared to go near it. The swordsman had brought Lenalee along, and she and Road had spent the day together as well; they were currently in Sheril and Tricia's company, as they were preparing Road for her own performance. And he, Tyki, had been excused from performing at all tonight. He'd given up the spotlight in order to spend more time with Lavi, the red head walking serenely by his side as they left the campground behind.

"Where are we going?" Lavi asked curiously, watching as several young girls ran past, their feet bare and their skirts fluttering around their legs. Tyki shrugged carelessly while he watched them race around the corner of one of the tents. It was getting late, he knew, and heard as the girls came to a stop and greeted one of their mothers. A quirk of a smile was on his face as he turned back to Lavi.

"Nowhere, I suppose." Lavi grinned at him, the smile lighting up his face and highlighting the mischeif in his green eye before tugging him forward. Confused, Tyki followed as well, allowing their connected hands to pull himself around people until they had reached the tree that seemed to hold far too many milestones for them. Feeling amused, Tyki waited a moment to disengage their hands before climbing onto the first branch, Lavi following behind him.

They sat above the earth in silence together, facing the camp set up and watching as blue smoke drifted from one of the main tents- - -a product of Jasdero and Devit's guns. Tyki didn't know what Lavi was thinking of, but he was recalling each interaction they'd had in this particular tree. This had been where he'd brought Lavi, all those seasons ago, when the red head had followed him home with the groceries and they'd talked until supper time. This had been where Lavi had promised to become a gypsy and travel with them, and where he'd failed to show up for the rest of the season. They'd had many conversations here, high above the earth and the rest of the world, just the two of them. He couldn't bear to bring anyone else to this particular tree, and knew that though Lavi brought Kanda and Lenalee to wait for them here, Lavi couldn't actually bring them for anything other than that. Once the Noah were there, it became their tree, in nearly every sense of the word. Though it grew taller and taller each time Tyki saw it, changing slowly with the passage of time as surely as they were, there was no denying it; when he thought of what a home was like, he thought of this tree with Lavi by his side.

He wondered if it would still be something similar to a home if Lavi left it. He sincerely doubted it, because it wasn't that returning to the tree felt something like coming home. It was returning with Lavi, returning to Lavi, that brought forth these feelings.

"Hey, Tyki?" The gypsy glanced over at the red head, though the other's eyes stayed firmly on the rising smoke, which was slowly turning red. He didn't seem to want to look at the gypsy, but his hand was trembling just a bit. "Would the Millennium Earl oppose a relationship with someone outside your troupe?" Tyki blinked slowly, thinking over the question in his mind. It was said so seriously for Lavi, and the question was one Tyki had almost been anticipating. If not for Lavi to put the knowledge to use for himself, then for Lenalee or Kanda. He thought back to when the Earl had sat him down, two seasons past, and they'd finally had a conversation about marriage. Tyki had been careful not to mention Lavi when talking about his particular interests, but the Earl seemed to know that the red head was on his mind.

"Maybe not at first." He said slowly, trying to find a proper way to word it. "But, if it will not go anywhere after a time, then yes, I suppose he would. Relationships outside of the troupe are infinitely harder to maintain and, in the long run, much more distracting." He glanced at the tent again- - -blue smoke once more- - -then turned to face Lavi fully, his legs straddling the tree branch underneath him to keep his balance. "Why do you ask?"

Lavi fidgeted slightly before taking a deep breath. His lips were trembling now, just a little bit as he tried to gather his thoughts. "I don't think..." He murmured softly, fingers twisting in his lap. "I think I..." Lavi struggled for a moment more before resolutely moving towards Tyki.

Before the older gypsy could do anything, Lavi had pressed his lips against Tyki's. The action stunned the older gypsy for a moment- - -he hadn't been expecting the sudden contact, and in spite of his shock, warmth bloomed in his chest. While he knew of his own growing attraction to the red head, Tyki had no sure way of knowing Lavi felt anything past friendship for him. Knowing his feelings were reciprocated made the older gypsy smirk when Lavi pulled away, face crimson.

They sat in a silence that was comfortable for Tyki, though he knew the red head was burning with a need for any type of response from him. Tyki watched out of the corner of his eye as Lavi endured the silence, biting his lower lip and glancing at him every now and then. His fingers resumed their previous twisting, entangling his hands together as he awaited Tyki's response. After a few moments of amusement, Tyki moved just a bit so he was sitting firmly on the tree branch, sliding himself over until their bodies connected from hip to thigh while their legs swung idly in the air. His hand reached over and gently untangled Lavi's, taking the red head's left hand in his right and intertwining their fingers once more.

"You know," He started conversationally, gold eyes turning to where purple smoke filled the air while Lavi whipped his head up from their body positions to take in the gypsy's profile. Tyki had his full attention, and the gypsy intended to make use of that in order to ensure there were no misunderstandings between them. "I knew my feelings had begun running deeper than friendship that night you found me in the storm, searching for Road and Allen."

"What?"

"I realized it when you had been drying my hair that night," He continued, seemingly unaware of Lavi's surprised voice. Confessing to the red head was freeing something in his chest, something that had been unknowingly weighing him down. "And as I had been unsure of where you stood with your feelings for me at that point in time, I chose to keep quiet." Tyki smiled at Lavi and leaned over to press a kiss to the red head's temple. "Knowing that you would want this with someone like me, who wanders as freely as an uncaged bird, makes me incredibly happy, Lavi."

Lavi leaned into Tyki's arm, both content to just sit and not say anything to one another. Tyki didn't even need to hear Lavi's confession for him; just needed the warmth of his body connected to his and the phantom feeling of pressure on his lips.

"Do you..." Lavi swallowed lightly; when Tyki looked down at him, his free hand was fingering the eye patch the other hadn't taken off since they were reunited. He looked extremely unwell, his face pale in the moonlight. Even the gypsy by his side wasn't enough to assuage whatever fears he had, which meant that what he was about to say was monumental to him. "Do you want to...see...?"

"Only if you're comfortable." Tyki answered, understanding the unfinished question. Lavi didn't move for just a moment, frozen in place before he pulled himself away and tore off the black fabric quickly, as if he would lose his nerve if he moved too slowly.

For a moment he wouldn't face the gypsy, almost as if ashamed; then he took a deep breath and turned his face to him. Tyki hesitantly reached out and touched the freed skin; it seemed odd, looking at Lavi's uncovered face fully for the first time since they'd met. The boy's face was still pale, still open and the same face Tyki had grown to appreciate. But there was something just the slightest bit jarring about being able to run his fingertips from the bottom of his jaw over the soft curve of his cheek to his warm temple, unhindered completely by the string and cloth that held his eye patch to his right eye. Tyki repeated the action several times, noting with a slight interest that the skin around his eye was just a little bit lighter than the rest of his face. Lavi shuddered as his fingers got closer and closer to his eye until the gypsy felt the scarred skin on his fingertip.

His fingers gently touched the marked eye as he finally turned his eyes to study the scar tissue surrounding it. The burn only covered the boy's eye, allowing him to wear the eye patch as it didn't seem to go any further than the sunken part of the eye, just inside the bone and skull. There was no eyebrow along the bone, and it appeared that the object used to burn him was hot enough to fuse the skin together in a twisted mess; if Tyki had doubted it before, he knew it with certainty now: this boy would never be able to recover fully from this experience. Even now, as time had passed and Lavi had put the whole thing from his mind, there was no way he would be able to forget it completely. The skin was darkened red and gnarled under his fingertips, a visible mark to everyone who would want to see and point at him, and Tyki let out a quiet sigh of discontentment.

How had he allowed this to happen?

"I wore the eye patch before because I liked to pretend I was a pirate." Lavi admitted. His eyes were scrunched up tight, though his body was slowly relaxing under Tyki's careful touches. "Even when I was nine years old, ten years old, up until I was kidnapped, I still liked to play pretend. But I always knew that if I took the eye patch off at night, I'd still look normal. I wouldn't have this horrid mark on my eye and watch as people gave me pitying looks because I took it off."

"I'm sorry it happened." Tyki murmured gently, pulling Lavi to him despite the awkwardness of the position. He relaxed fully, his hands gripping tightly to the loose white shirt Tyki wore. The gypsy ran a soothing hand through the red head's hair, making the other boy sigh in contentment. "Especially because it happen while you were waiting for me."

Lavi shrugged lightly in the awkward embrace, inhaling Tyki's scent deeply while he was pressed against him.

"It's fine." Lavi murmured back. "I try not to think about it too often, but every now and then..." He trailed off when Tyki pulled away and pressed his lips gently against the eye that no longer worked. The scar felt odd and uneven under his mouth, much rougher than the rest of Lavi's face. "Tyki..."

"Shhhh." Tyki hugged the boy again, his cheek pressing against red strands of hair. "I'll still stay by you, if that's what you had been worried about before." An inexplicable tenseness that had surrounded Lavi from the moment the fabric left his skin left suddenly; Lavi's arms wrapped around Tyki as well, his hands once again clenching at the white shirt around Tyki's shoulder blades as he breathed shakily. Tyki comforted him as best he could, murmuring reassurances into his ear and pressing kisses against his head until the red head compare himself. He gave Tyki a grin when he met the golden eyes again, one that was much less uncertain than before.

"Thanks, Tyki." The gypsy nodded in acquiescence and looked toward the camp once more, Lavi following his gaze soon after. And when his hand shyly met Tyki's once more, Tyki took it and held onto it firmly.

XxX

"Why doesn't Allen have cross tattoos?" Tyki turned to Lavi at the question, his eyebrow raised. Ahead of them, Lenalee and Rhode were holding hands and giggling, the older girl wearing a long white summer dress and the younger gypsy wearing an old skirt of Tricia's and a tight tank top shirt. Behind them, Kanda was being forcefully dragged by Allen; both boys were covered completely, Allen even wearing a glove to avoid questions about his arm. They all turned to face Lavi, who had turned a bit and was staring at Allen's forehead in curiosity.

"What do you mean?" Tyki asked curiously, peering behind them at the couple as well. The pale boy looked slightly flushed, his left hand pressing against his forehead almost self consciously. "Allen has them as well. It makes what he's doing even worse than it should be."

At that, he watched as Lenalee sighed and Lavi pursed his lips- - -despite the hints Road and Tyki had been dropping during their current stay, the snide remarks of just what the pale haired gypsy was doing, nobody outside the three of them seemed to know or were willing to tell them. Tyki had the feeling Kanda knew though; Allen seemed to put all of his trust into the samurai, and every jab was met with a dark glower from the boy slowly turning man. All summer, Tyki had noted how Allen gravitated towards Kanda Yuu more than any of the rest of them- - -even Road.

Especially Road. Ever since they'd arrived, way back before it started getting cold for the winter season, Allen had somehow worked his way more firmly into Kanda Yuu's life, going so far as to sneak out of the tent he slept in with Tyki and the twins. The boys didn't know, both of them likely to sleep through certain disaster, but the eldest among them had always been a light sleeper. Tyki had made no mention of it to anyone, not willing to get the younger boy in trouble, but he was almost certain Road knew as well. She was doing remarkably well putting her trust in her uncle and not saying anything to her parents or the Earl, but she couldn't help any verbal rebukes that came out at him.

And if the intensifying glare the paler boy received from the Millennium Earl was any indication, their leader had his suspicions of his night time activities as well.

Despite this, Tyki noted how Allen only seemed truly happy when he was arguing with the older swordsman, odd as it was. He was more relaxed, his voice lighter and more carefree. It was almost painful to Tyki, knowing that he could only see the young boy Allen had been in their company if he was with the Kanda heir. As such, he and Road saw Lavi and Lenalee more times this season than ever before, so that it wasn't as strange that Allen was out in town with Kanda Yuu; it looked better with the three of them gone, as Road and Tyki could always convince Allen to return to camp, than if Allen had just gone by himself.

"Well, where are they?" Lavi asked curiously, returning to the previous topic. They all came to a stop, the two couples joining with Tyki and Lavi. Lavi moved Allen's hand, using his free one to brush the silver hair to the side. Allen's skin was pale and unmarried by anything other than the red star. "Why aren't they on his forehead, like yours and Road's?"

"He had that mark over his eye before we found him." Tyki explained. Allen gave him a slight grimace in place of a smile, but his silvery gaze kept going back to Lenalee and Lavi; clearly Kanda already knew the story. In deference to his cousin, Tyki gave them an abridged story. "Lord Millennium thought that his face had been marked enough, so decided not to put them on his forehead like the rest of the family. He's the only exception- - -even our doctor has them across her forehead."

"That doesn't tell me where they are." Lavi informed him when he stopped talking. Tyki laughed slightly. Clearly well trained, the red head was relentless when it came to something he was curious about.

"For that, you'll have to ask Allen." Without hesitation, the red head gripped Allen's shoulders tightly and nearly shook the gypsy in excitement.

"Hey, Moyashi-chan!" He said brightly. Tyki watched as Kanda's eye twitched and Allen groaned. Lavi ignored both of them, reflexively flinching back when Kanda put his hand on his sword . "Where are your cross tattoos?" The pale gypsy open his mouth, looking something resembling resigned.

"Across his chest, just under his collarbone." Everyone started at Kanda's voice suddenly joining in the conversation; Allen's face turned a darker crimson while Kanda stared off to the side, pink slowly covering his cheeks. He looked furious with himself, but continued. "There are seven."

Silence. Only the birds could be heard, the leaves rustling slightly as a soft wind blew through them. Road and Lenalee glanced at each other, violet meeting gold, before both girls blushed simultaneously; Road's face turning as scarlet as Allen's from the amount of blood settling in her face. Lavi's face was frozen in an expression that was a mixture of shock, slight horror, and faint glee. Tyki covered his eyes with his hand, pursing his lips in an attempt to keep in what he wanted to say as a response to Kanda Yuu's sudden statement. There many, many things he could say, but this was a conversation with which he had to tread carefully.

"And exactly how," he began slowly when he believed he could speak without throwing some form of insult at the two boys in his shock, not removing his hand from his eyes, "have you come across that information? Surely Allen didn't simply just tell you..." Both boys turned darker at the implications in his tone, but neither moved to deny anything. Silence reigned again. Kanda tightened his grip on Mugen at his side, cobalt eyes meeting Tyki's gold in a piercing glare when the older gypsy brought his hand down to regard Allen.

"Do you have a problem with it?" He snarled quietly. Tyki raised an eyebrow, looking from Allen, who had suddenly found the ground below them fascinating, to Kanda and back several times. Without saying a single word, he glanced meaningfully at Lavi, who was still facing his younger cousin. "Let us continue onwards, shall we?" Tyki artfully ignored the question and continued walking, carefully grasping Lavi's hand in his own. Road and Lenalee moved as well, the blushes on their faces not fading as they carefully placed more distance between themselves and set off ahead of the group. After a moment, Tyki heard Allen and Kanda begin walking again.

He couldn't help one last jab, which he said over his shoulder carelessly.

"You could have at least come to the Earl and paid for him, you know." He threw out conversationally. "Then I'm sure that everything would be resolved much quicker." Lavi and Road burst out laughing, Lenalee smiled and giggled; both of the non-gypsies had only caught the first part of his comment, and apparently the idea of Kanda paying for Allen was a laughable one. Allen even smiled, though he looked even more mortified than before. He hid his eyes under his hand, but even that couldn't hide the wide grin he was sporting underneath.

"Allen isn't something to be bought." Kanda growled. His words cut across everyone's good humor, sobering up all three simultaneously. He was glowering darkly at Tyki again, his face set in a deep scowl. The gypsy was taken aback by the look on the boy's face, slightly unsure of what to make of such an intense reaction. "He's a person, and people don't just have prices put upon them as if their worth is measured in gold or trinkets."

There was an awkward silence following this statement as they continued walking.

"That means that Yuu-chan got farther than any of us." Lavi said after a few nearly unbearable moments. His voice was falsely light, trying hard to lighten the gloom that had befallen them. The tone cause Lenalee to snicker and Road to turn and face him with a smile that didn't really reach her eyes before turning to face forward again; Tyki watched as she took Lenalee's hand in her own, and as the older girl entwined their fingers together. "That's not fair. He and Allen didn't even like each other at first!"

"I didn't particularly like you at first." Tyki said conversationally. Lavi gaped at him, the pale hand in his going slack. Tyki laughed at the stunned, wide eyed expression the boy gave him. "Well, that's not to say I hated you. But at the time, I really hoped you'd disappear and stop bothering me all the time."

"Seriously?" Lavi said finally. He looked vaguely offended, as if it had never occurred to him that the elder gypsy hadn't particularly wanted him around when they were younger. Tyki shrugged slightly; even now, as old as he was and how far in the past it was, the subject was a sore spot for him.

"You were not the first person who offered to befriend a gypsy, particularly this one. I felt I had sufficiently learned my lesson the first time around, and had no desire to repeat the experience with you." Lavi narrowed his eyes at him, wordlessly prompting Tyki to explain. With a slight sigh, the gypsy went quiet for a moment before he spoke again. The wound wasn't fresh any longer, but it was a story that was best told quickly. "When I was four or five seasons, a boy around my age wanted to be friends." Tyki explained, Lavi staring at him with a familiar open and curious expression. "He'd come to visit me in the camp, and wanted to play. Sheril and Cross and even Lulubell had advised against it, but I wouldn't see reason. We spent most of the season nearly inseparable; and then he invited me to his house." Tyki made a face. "What a fool I was then, at such a young age. The Earl told me no, but I accepted and snuck out. His parents were uncomfortable with me, but that didn't deter me. Actually, it was his older brother and his friends. They were.."

"They were completely violent." Road said from ahead of them. She hadn't turned around, her voice just loud enough for Lavi to still be able to hear and understand her. "Papa told me. He said that they were horribly cruel, and they insulted our family and everything about us in front of him. They hit him a lot. Papa said that they didn't realize it until after Uncle Tyki took off his shirt, but when he did, he had so many bruises covering his body, his torso looked almost completely purple." Lavi looked from Road to Tyki and back, horror clearly on his face. He looked as if he didn't want to believe it was true, like the eldest gypsy was pulling some sort of prank on him.

"I hadn't mentioned it to anyone." Tyki admitted. "It was a little before Miranda joined us, and so it was Tricia's care that I fell under. It was humiliating. I tried to run away once. I didn't get far- - -Lord Millennium caught me and managed to get the whole story from me."

"Papa said that Lord Millennium brought Uncle Tyki in front of the whole troupe and told his story again." Road added. She'd turned around, but didn't release Lenalee's hand; her arm was pulled awkwardly across her chest, but since it drew her nearer to Lenalee, she didn't seem to mind much. "And then he said that outside humans by nature were cruel, and that only family could really support each other properly."

"I never saw that child again." Tyki murmured after a while. Lavi looked at him, then tightened his hand on Tyki's. "Even though it's a town that we have a regular season in, I've never again seen the little boy who tried to befriend me." His eyes were far away, because he was staring up at the sky as he reminisced. The red head at his side cleared his throat pointedly, and Tyki sent him a small smirk. "And when you introduced yourself, you reminded me of him. I didn't trust you at first." Road smiled and returned to her own conversation with Lenalee as Lavi leaned over quickly and pressed his lips against Tyki's cheek.

"I'm sorry." The other boy smiled shyly at him, swinging their connected arms slowly. The bashfulness didn't particularly suit Lavi, the gypsy thought.

"It's over and done with." Tyki said breezily, bringing their hands up briefly to press a kiss against Lavi's hand before allowing them to succumb to the pull of gravity once more. The shyness eased just a bit, and Tyki decided that it needed to disappear just a bit more to bring Lavi back. "Besides, you've been quite different from the start. Any similarities between you two have long since been banished."

"That's good." Lavi smiled widely as they went quiet again; each gypsy enjoying the last day they had together with their friend and significant other before they left the next morning. They walked on together, and in the ceasefire there was between them all, Tyki felt comfortable enough to wish that the moment would last forever.

And when dawn arrived, Road leaned against Tyki, asleep once more as they rode away from their grounds, Tyki watched as the only members of their group to come later- - -Cross and Allen- - -slept on in their tent. Sighing slightly and pressing his head against Road's, Tyki's gaze drifted over to the tree that held yet another milestone in his relationship with Lavi, a small smile lighting up his features. With a yawn, Tyki closed his eyes and slept, thinking of the red head and inwardly counting seconds until they came back the next season.

XxX

"Uncle Tyki, do you know where Allen is?" Tyki turned, his fingers stilling on the fabric he was currently tying around his neck. It was opening night in a town elsewhere, not one of their usual stops; the elder gypsy couldn't remember the name of the town at the moment because of his niece's distress. Road looked vaguely uncomfortable, her lower lip caught between her teeth and her brow furrowed.

"No." He answered slowly. "I haven't seen Allen or Cross around at all." Road entered the tent fully and sat on the bed Allen used. "He said he would be with Cross after we started packing up to leave..."

"And no one has seen either Cross or Allen since." Road said, bringing her hand up to rub her eyes. "But Cross decided to go a different way, didn't he? So they should be here any day now, right?"

"That's right." Tyki finished tying his dark tie around his neck and picked up his hat easily, the purple Tease fluttering from it as soon as he touched it. Despite having Jasdero and Devitto take his opening spot, Tyki still used his Tease in performances on stage. After all, they'd been a gift to him from the Earl, and there was no one else who would be able to control them as well as he did. "Cross had sent word ahead that they'd be here late tonight or early tomorrow; worry not, darling," he said teasingly, "for your companion will be here soon." Road flushed and stuck her tongue out; once she'd settled, though, a thoughtful look crossed her face.

"Perhaps the short separation is for the best." She said, "When Allen comes, he shouldn't be in such a horrible mood anymore, since he got extra time with Kanda. Maybe he'll give up thoughts of leaving us now." Tyki paused at her last sentence, his hat balancing upon his head. Despite her voicing it, both of them knew it was unlikely Allen would abandon such thoughts. They both knew the boy well, better than anyone else with the exception of Mana; and as such, both knew that once Allen got an idea into his head, it would remain there until he managed to somehow act on it or change anyone's way of thinking.

It had been an endearing trait when he was younger, though now it was causing more pain in the entire family than usual.

"Perhaps." Tyki agreed carefully. "Maybe Cross will finally beat some sense into that boy." Road smiled shakily and stretched, her back cracking in several places as she did.

And when Cross appeared the next morning, Road was at his side faster than anyone could blink. Tyki watched as the girl asked something of Cross, only to frown when the man shook his head and Road's jaw clenched tightly. She said something else, bowing slightly, then stomped over to Tyki, eyes blazing.

"Cross says he hasn't seen Allen since we left. Allen was supposed to travel with him, but Cross couldn't find him when he was ready to leave, so he assumed Allen would be with us. Which means that he's nowhere to be found." Road's jaw set and she seemed to struggle with her words, playing absentmindedly with her long hair. "Where could he be?"

"Perhaps it is time to go to Lord Millennium now." Tyki said, his pursed in disapproval. Road 'tsk'ed but agreed, following her Uncle in their sudden job of locating the Millennium Earl.

They found him easily; he had been standing outside of Skinn's tent, making some sort of over excited motions at the gypsy. Lulubell and their son were nowhere to be found. The blonde woman was likely following her child around the camp, making sure he wasn't being too much of an inconvience to the troupe members. Tyki regarded Skinn coolly for a second before turning his attentions on their leader.

"Lord Millennium." The Earl turned to face Tyki, his smile as wide as always; it seemed the break from Allen's constant defiance brought back their leader's cheerfulness. Tyki hated to be the bearer of bad news, but knew that the matter at hand was of utmost importance. He had no doubt that Allen's disappearance had been chalked up to traveling with Cross, and when the Millennium Earl sought out the man and discovered Allen still missing, Tyki knew there would be hell to pay because he hadn't been told immediately.

"Tyki-pon!"

"Allen is missing." The Earl seemed to be taken aback, though his smile never wavered or diminished, and Tyki continued. It was best to get news like this said as quickly as possible, and he didn't even pause for breath as he rushed to get the words out while still making them comprehensible. "Cross is here, but Allen isn't. We have no idea where he is."

"None whatsoever, Tyki?" The Millennium Earl's glasses flashed, and Tyki sighed in annoyance. He never could lie to the Earl, after all, because the man had an uncanny ability to detect when any member of his troupe was being untruthful. Though it pained him to tell the truth, the gypsy knew he had no other choice.

"It's more than likely he stayed behind in the last village." He admitted finally, rubbing his eyes. Allen, it seemed, had discovered his newfound ability to create unnecessary drama amongst the Millennium Earl and those closest to him and was using said ability as best as he could. Tyki sort of wished the boy was in front of him so that he could give him a good thrashing himself.

"Ah." The Earl seemed to be deep in thought, the accompanying "I see..." coming out thoughtfully. They stood in silence until the Millennium Earl turned to Skinn. "I know you dislike being a messenger, but do go fetch Allen as soon as you can." Despite the pleasant way of asking, everyone heard the harsh order in his voice, and Skinn nodded once, shooting a withering glance at Tyki and Road; they both shrugged helplessly, Tyki's just the slightest bit apologetic. Lulubell was not going to be happy when she found out, after all.

"I'll leave now, Lord Millennium." Their leader nodded once before taking Road's arm gently in one hand and leading her away, Tyki following silently after. They waited a few moments while Skinn took what he needed, then watched as the older gypsy left back in the direction from which they came.

Road smiled when she realized that Allen would soon be among family again; she was the only one who seemed pleased that Skinn had been sent to retrieve him.

Days turned into weeks, though, and when three weeks had passed, Road approached Tyki with a worried look.

"We haven't traveled far enough to warrant them both being gone for three weeks." She bit her lip and looked into the distance. Her fingers were running continuously through her long hair, though it was far from tangled. Tyki suspected that she'd been repeating her actions unconsciously all day, not realizing she was doing it. "What's taking so long?"

"Allen is most likely being stubborn." Tyki sighed; he'd been gathering wood for dinner, and with Road's news he'd placed what he gathered on the ground. "It's probably best if we went after them now, to ensure they come back."

"Would Lord Millennium allow us to go?" Road questioned. As soon as it left her mouth, Devit appeared, twirling his gold gun in his hand.

"I'm supposed to take the wood in." He said. "Lord Millennium wants to speak with you both." Despite his careless way of speaking and the casual manner that he twirled his gun, Devit was clearly anxious. He was alone, the space Jasdero usually occupied suspiciously lacking the blonde, and his bottom lip was red- - -it seemed they all had a bad habit of biting their lip when worried.

Without a second thought, both Road and Tyki rushed towards the direction he came, Tyki giving Devit a soft but reassuring pat on the boy's head as he passed.

They found the Earl by the edge of their camp, two horses beside him as he waited for the to come within hearing distance.

"Go bring them back." His voice was stoic, but they could detect the worry in it as he fretted- - -the Millennium Earl was the type of leader who appreciated having his little family as close to each other and as safe as possible. It mattered not that they were all strays picked off the street; to him, and to them, they were family and family stood firm. He forgave everything they did to each other short of betrayal and murder, and despite his current tension with Allen, Tyki knew that his concern for the boy's well being was genuine.

He took the reins gently, accepting a pouch filled with money and handing one to Rhode as they both climbed on.

"We'll be back soon." He promised. "With them both."

XxX

They'd seen Allen long before he saw them, and in an instant, both sets of gold eyes turned relieved and infuriated. It'd been a long seven days of traveling, and even what little comraderie they had traveling with just the two of them had faded quickly to worry about their cousins. Meeting each other's gazes briefly, Tyki and Road slowed the horses they were on as they got closer to the pale boy sitting on the side of the road with his head in his hands.

Allen looked up when he heard them approach, and as they came to a stop in front of him, Tyki could see the red rimming his eyes.

"What happened?" Road spoke first, breaking the tense silence around them. Her eyes softened at the completely devastated look in Allen's silver gaze, and her voice was gentle as she said her next question. "Has your samurai finally left?" Allen grimaced at the words, looking as if he would rather be anywhere but facing his family.

"No." Allen's voice was harsh and choked, as if he'd been screaming or crying lately. It sounded raw, as unguarded as the look on his face and the trembling in his hands. Tears began to slowly fill his eyes again, and as the two watched Allen took a shuddering breath and stood.

"Where is Skinn?" Tyki asked firmly. Allen winced slightly again at the question. Something unpleasant coiled in the eldest's stomach, and he had to force himself to keep talking. "Lord Millennium sent him here to collect you nearly a month ago. There has been no contact since, and we've been expecting the two of you this entire time. Where is he?"

"Over here." Allen murmured in his hoarse voice. Tyki dismounted, Road doing the same, and they led their horses as they followed Allen. He took them to a small clearing, confusing Road and Tyki as they had been expecting him to take them into town. Instead, Allen had them stop as he searched the trees' trunks until he came across something that made him pause. He put his hand flat upon the trunk, bowing his head just a bit, before taking a firm and decisive step back.

"Skinn is here." He muttered.

Time froze.

Tyki rushed forward first, dropping his reins and striding quickly to stand beside Allen and see what the pale boy was seeing: a name and age carved shakily into the trunk of the tree.

Skinn Bolic, twenty-three seasons of age.

"You killed him?" Road hissed thickly, and Tyki nearly jumped out of his skin. He'd forgotten that she had come with him, forgotten everything once he had seen his older cousin's name carved into the piece of living wood.

Though he and the older gypsy never got along, Tyki felt an overwhelming grief build in his body. While they were never as close as he and Road, or even he and Miranda whom he treated very respectfully because of her willingness to treat them to the best of her abilities, Skinn Bolic had been something resembling family to him. He had, in a sense, been the protector of their small family, and Tyki bowed his head in a resemblance of respect at his passing.

Between them, Rhode had gone from hissing to screaming.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" She shrieked at him, fury and hatred making her voice cold, and the unfamiliar curse falling from her lips made Allen's eyes widen. It was a testament to the rage flowing through her frame- - -no matter what, the girl almost never cursed. Gone was the pity she'd felt when she thought Kanda had left Allen behind, gone was the love she normally held for her favorite cousin. Grief turned her into someone neither gypsy had ever seen before. "How dare you! You traitor!" Allen's eyes widened, and Tyki stood with his head bowed as Road's harsh words echoed in the clearing around them. "You killed him!"

"I didn't!" Allen insisted frantically, hands raised as a token of peace. Road ignored it as her hand swung out and backhanded Allen firmly across his face. His head snapped to the side, Allen not expecting the blow to come. Unlike when she had hit her uncle, though, she didn't stop.

"You might as well have!" Allen winced at her tone. Road hit him again, her open palm smacking him soundly on his shoulder. The hit was muffled by the clothes he was wearing, and she clenched her fists before swinging at him again. "It's worse that you stood by and allowed him to die!" Allen bit his lip, but didn't deny her statement, which made her eyes narrow. Her attack never slowed as she screamed at him. "We trusted you! We loved you! All we wanted was for you to be safe!" Road stopped, her gold eyes filling with tears despite remaining cold. Her chest was heaving harshly, a combination of trying to keep her tears at bay and the exertion she'd used to hit him. "We wanted you to stay with us. Those crosses on your chest mean that you're family. Those crosses connected you to me, to Uncle Tyki, to Papa and Mama, to Lulubell and Jasdevi, even to Skinn and Lord Millennium. They're the same crosses that Cross has, Miranda- - -even Mana wore them proudly." Allen winced at the name of his adoptive father, but Road kept up a torrent of words. "How dare you go back on everything he taught you, and on the care and support you got from us because he wanted you." Rhode hiccuped suddenly, her shoulders beginning to shake. She lost her battle, and water began slipping down her cheeks. "Why would you do this?" She asked coldly. The tears were falling quickly down her face, and Tyki placed his hand on her shoulder without turning around. "We-We..." Her voice faltered and she backed up until her back hit Tyki's shoulder, his arm between them, a thought occurring to her suddenly. "You didn't even care enough to burn him...did you?"

"...Kanda said it was unethical." Allen admitted quietly. "He's buried there, by the tree."

Road let out a wordless shriek of rage and flew at Allen again, punching his chest in anger. Allen moved back in surprise, but she stopped instantly. Returning to her uncle, Road buried her face in his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist, sobbing quietly but harshly into his shirt. Tyki wrapped one arm around her small waist, the other coming up across her shaking shoulders. As he allowed his niece to cry on him, he pressed a kiss to her hair as a few tears fell from his own gold eyes.

"Allen." The other made an acknowledging noise. "Don't move."

For a moment, all three of them were frozen in that moment: two gypsies standing in front of a tree, both crying, mourning the loss of a member of their family, while another stood a few feet away, watching with pained silver eyes. It felt almost surreal to Tyki, who was staring with blank eyes at the tree bearing Skinn's name and age. There was a part of him, a very big part, that didn't want to move. He wanted to just stay in this strange, unreal moment for as long as possible; Tyki knee, as soon as they got back to camp, Allen would be dealt with accordingly. He wasn't ready to handle it.

"We must return." Tyki whispered soothingly into Road's ear when her cries died down. She sniffed, nodding as she pulled her face away and rubbed at her eyes gently. Her eyes landed on Allen and went cold again. Tyki pursed his lips, but took her hand as he turned to face Allen. "Come, Allen."

"But I- - -" He protested; Tyki cut him off.

"You are coming with us." Tyki said firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument. Allen winced, but nodded hesitantly. The three made their way back to the road, and Tyki hauled Allen up to his horse, getting on in front of him. He felt a shiver go through him as Allen threaded his arms around his waist, holding onto Tyki desperately. He placed a hand on the pale one, barely touching the white skin underneath his tanned fingertips; with a heavy sigh, Tyki pulled his hand away and turned his horse back towards camp. "Let's go."

XxX

"We've got him, Lord Millennium." Tyki, who was holding Allen's right arm, roughly threw the boy in front of the Millennium Earl. Allen stumbled, but managed to right himself as Road entered behind him. The Earl gasped at such a treatment, but both remained stoic. Over the course of their travels back, Tyki and Road had hardened their hearts against Allen so that they would be able to inform the Earl as to what happened.

It had been a log journey home.

As the paler boy righted himself, Tyki glanced around the Earl's tent. The leader's tent was small and humble, though there was enough room for the main family to gather and relax on their off days of performing. As it was now, Sheril and Tricia were seated in one area, Road's mother sewing while her father lounged by her side, one hand in his wife's hair and the other holding a book up. Nearby, Lulubell sat with her child; her impassive face was unchanging even as the child of four seasons was pulling at her long blonde hair.

Tyki saw her and wished fiercely that the blonde woman wasn't there, that she wouldn't ever have to receive the news they were about to give.

"Allen-kun!" He cried out at the sight of the pale boy. His eyes moved from Allen to Tyki's impassive face and Road's cold eyes. His mood plummeted at their faces, knowing instinctively as their leader that something was very wrong. The Earl knelt beside Allen, one hand on the boy's shoulder as he tried to figure out what had them all looking so grim. "Where's Skinn? I want to know what took him so long." There was no answer, and his aura darkened. Without meaning to, his hand tightened on Allen's shoulder. The boy grunted slightly, but made no other sound and stayed where he was. "Where is he, Tyki?" The oldest stayed quiet. "Road?" She took a deep, shuddering breath and crossed her arms, but stayed silent as well. They were both looking almost pointedly at the last of their trio, and the Earl mimicked them. "Allen?"

"He's dead." The Earl's gaze rose and met Tyki's, then returned to Allen. With a single look, it was obvious the boy was telling the truth, and Tyki wasn't sure what was going to happen now. There was a tension in the room, one that had appeared the moment the words left the Allen's lips. All eyes were on them; Lulubell had even stilled her child, pulling the boy into her lap and hugging him to her.

"What happened?" She asked. Her voice was quiet but heavy, full of a newfound sorrow and unbirdled anger. The Earl moved to the side, allowing the woman to face the boy who had been the cause of her husband's death. Allen didn't look at her, didn't speak. Lulubell stood, taking her son with her, and walked to his side. Falling to her knees, she reached out and gently placed her fingers under his chin, lifting it slightly and forcing him to meet her golden eyes. Allen took a shuddering breath as he did so, though her gaze didn't waver once. "What happened to my husband, Allen Walker? What happened to Skinn?"

"I'm so sorry." He whispered instead. Sighing shortly in disgust, Lulubell stood again. With one last withering glare, she turned and gracefully exited the tent. She held the boy's hands as they passed first Tyki then Road, careful to not touch anyone else as she made her exit. As soon as the bottom of her skirt was out of view, the Millennium Earl turned his attention back to Allen.

"Where are his ashes?" He asked coldly. Allen shook in front of him, but didn't answer. They watched him for a moment before it became clear he wasn't planning on saying anything. The Earl opened his mouth to repeat himself, but Rhode answered.

"Allen didn't do anything." She said coldly. "He let Skinn die, and then didn't have the heart to burn him like he's supposed to because," her eyes flashed angrily and her emotionless voice turned venomous, "according to his precious samurai, it was 'unethical' to do so." The Millennium Earl snarled wordlessly, fury radiating off him.

"So," He started, his voice harsh, "is your precious little toy more valuable to you than family, Allen Walker?" Allen opened his mouth, but didn't get a chance to say anything. "A fling more important than lasting bonds? Did you want to leave so badly that you would murder a family member in order to stay away?"

"I didn't kill him!" Allen insisted angrily.

"If all you did was stand by and watched, you might as well have." The Earl hissed before abruptly turning his back on Allen. "I don't want to see him any longer. Get him out."

"And I should take him where?" Tyki asked, taking Allen's arm again.

"Out of this camp." The Millennium Earl turned to face Tyki. "I won't harbor a traitor among our midst. I don't want to see him at all after today."

"Tyki, please- - -" Allen tried, begging the older gypsy to listen to him, but Tyki wouldn't hear it. As soon as they were far away from the Earl and Rhode, the older gypsy pulled Allen around to face him.

"Do not address me so familiarly." He growled out. "You have brought this upon yourself, Allen Walker. I firmly support Lord Millennium's decision." He pushed Allen towards the horses. "Take one. Go back to the Kanda family and their son. And don't come back." Allen paused, clearly wanting to say something, before closing his mouth and doing as he was told.

As he rode away, Tyki watched him. And despite the tears he felt gathering at the corners of his eyes at losing yet another family member, this one closer and more dear to him than Skinn Bolic had ever been, Tyki turned firmly to return to the camp.

They had things to prepare for.


End file.
